8 months ago
Telcos see 9-year high in active subscribers
In 2025, Indian telecom companies added a lot of new users, the most in 9 years.
Even though prices went up, people still signed up for services.
Reliance Jio added the most users, while Bharti Airtel had some ups and downs.
Experts think prices might go up again in 2026 because companies want to make more money from their investments in better technology.
They also say that internet is becoming very important for daily life, so people might not mind paying more for it.
Active subscriber additions by telecom players hit a 9-year high in CY2025, with around 31 million adds till November 2025.
Reliance Jio led the growth, adding 13.9 million active subscribers from January to November 2025, and was the only operator to add subscribers in November 2025.
Bharti Airtel had mixed results, with subscriber additions in some months and declines in others, but still had net adds overall.
Experts expect a 12-15% biennial tariff hike in Q4 2025, led by Jio, to monetize investments in 5G and fiber-to-the-home.
The digitalization of important services is making internet access increasingly essential, making tariffs inelastic with limited impact on demand.
- Who
- Telecom players, including Reliance Jio Infocomm, Bharti Airtel, and Vi
- What
- Active subscriber additions hit a 9-year high in CY2025
- Where
- India
- When
- Till November 2025, with expected tariff hikes in 2026
- Why
- Despite tariff hikes and revised package offers, the telecom sector continued to grow, driven by increased internet usage and digitalization of services
Key facts
- Active Subscriber Additions
- 31 million (till November 2025)
- Jio's Active Subscriber Market Share
- 44% (up 160 bps)
- Jio's Active Subscriber Adds (Jan-Nov 2025)
- 13.9 million
- Expected Tariff Hike
- 12-15% biennial hike expected in Q4 2025
- Vi's Required ARPU for Survival
- ₹300 in FY30
Quotes
Morgan Stanley
A global investment management corporation
“RJio's market share rose to 43.7 per cent (+25bps MoM), while all other operators lost market share MoM.”
thehindubusinessline.com
“on FWA, Jio added almost 2.5x FWA subs (FWA 5G+ FWA UBR) vs Airtel.”
thehindubusinessline.com
Sources
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