Indian telecom service providers Bharti Airtel, BSNL, Reliance Jio, and Vodafone Idea (Vi) recorded gains in wireless subscribers during the month, while MTNL reported subscriber losses, according to TRAI’s Telecom Subscription Data as of the end of April 2026. The data show that the total number of wireless (mobile and Fixed Wireless Access) subscribers increased from 1,282.33 million at the end of March 2026 to 1,288.96 million at the end of April 2026, registering a monthly growth rate of 0.52 percent. Likewise, the number of wireless (mobile) subscribers rose from 1,265.73 million to 1,271.90 million during the same period, reflecting a growth rate of 0.49 percent. Wireless tele-density in India increased from 89.88 percent to 90.28 percent. (M2M cellular mobile connections have also been included.)
As of April 2026, Bharti Airtel reported a 5G FWA subscriber base of 3,756,489 (an addition of 18,831), while Reliance Jio reported 8,793,750 (an addition of 209,640) 5G FWA users, bringing the total to 12,550,239.
Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited, the only operator reporting UBR FWA subscribers, increased its UBR FWA base from 4,285,595 at the end of March to 4,505,055 at the end of April, adding 219,460 users.
“UBR FWA subscription stood at 4.51 million at the end of April 2026 with subscriptions in urban and rural areas of 3.21 million and 1.29 million respectively. The shares of urban and rural wireless (UBR FWA) subscribers in total wireless (UBR FWA) subscribers were 71.35 percent and 28.65 percent respectively, at the end of April 2026,” the TRAI report released on May 26, 2026, said.
Gain and Loss of Wireless Subscribers
Bharti Airtel added 3,139,228 wireless (mobile) subscribers, and Reliance Jio added 2,942,643 subscribers during the month. Meanwhile, Vodafone Idea added 53,257 wireless (mobile) subscribers. BSNL added 76,175 subscribers, while MTNL lost 33,403 subscribers during April 2026.
All Licensed Service Areas (LSAs) showed growth in wireless (mobile) subscribers during April 2026.
Wireless Market Share of Operators
As of the end of April 2026, private access service providers held 92.67 percent of the wireless (mobile) market, while BSNL and MTNL accounted for 7.33 percent.
This translates to Reliance Jio holding a 39.25 percent market share with 499.28 million wireless subscribers; Bharti Airtel with a 37.81 percent market share and 480.88 million wireless subscribers; Vodafone Idea with a 15.61 percent market share and 198.54 million wireless subscribers; BSNL with a 7.31 percent market share and 93.02 million wireless subscribers; and MTNL with a 0.01 percent market share and 181,564 wireless subscribers.
Wireless (Fixed wireless and Mobile) Access Broadband Subscribers
As of the end of April 2026, Reliance Jio reported 512.58 million wireless broadband subscribers—the highest number—followed by Bharti Airtel with 362.14 million, Vodafone Idea with 128.91 million, and BSNL with 22.69 million subscribers.
Wireline Telephone Subscriber Base
Wireline subscribers increased from 48.25 million at the end of March 2026 to 48.58 million at the end of April 2026. The net increase in the wireline subscriber base was 0.33 million with a monthly growth rate of 0.68 percent.
In the wireline segment:
- Reliance Jio held a 31.66 percent market share with 15,379,860 subscribers, adding 142,422 subscribers during the month.
- Bharti Airtel accounted for a 24.22 percent share with around 11,762,961 subscribers, adding 343,373 subscribers during the month.
- Vodafone Idea held a market share of around 1.77 percent with about 860,555 subscribers, adding 7,114 subscribers during the month.
- Meanwhile, BSNL held a 15.37 percent market share with around 7.47 million (7,465,151) subscribers, adding 3,849 subscribers during the month.
M2M Cellular Connections
The number of M2M (Machine-to-Machine) cellular mobile connections increased from 123.88 million at the end of March 2026 to 127.48 million at the end of April 2026.
Bharti Airtel led with 79.01 million M2M connections (61.98 percent market share), followed by Reliance Jio with 24.28 million (19.05 percent), Vodafone Idea with 20.05 million (15.73 percent), and BSNL with 4.14 million (3.25 percent).
Active Wireless Subscribers
Out of the total 1,271.90 million wireless (mobile) subscribers, 1,193.57 million were active on the date of peak VLR in April 2026. The proportion of active wireless (mobile) subscribers was approximately 93.84 percent of the total wireless (mobile) subscriber base.
Bharti Airtel reported a peak VLR of 99.72 percent during the month, BSNL 55.93 percent, Vodafone Idea 85.26 percent, MTNL 157.62 percent, and Reliance Jio 98.63 percent.
Also in TRAI Subscriber Series:
Mar 2026: Bharti Airtel Adds Over 5 Million Wireless Subscribers in March 2026: TRAI Data
Feb 2026: Vodafone Idea Gains 21,927 Wireless Subscribers, TRAI February 2026 Data
Jan 2026: Vodafone Idea Starts 2026 with Subscriber Loss: TRAI January 2026 Data
Dec 2025: Airtel Crosses 463 Million Wireless Subscribers; Gap With Jio Shrinks: TRAI December 2025 Data
Nov 2025: Airtel, BSNL, and Jio Gain Wireless Users in November 2025; Vodafone Idea Loses Over 1 Million Subscribers
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FAQs
Which telecom operator added the most subscribers in April 2026?
Bharti Airtel added the highest number of mobile subscribers (around 3.14 million), followed closely by Reliance Jio (around 2.94 million).
What is the total wireless subscriber base in India?
As of April 2026, India had approximately 1.289 billion wireless subscribers including mobile and fixed wireless access users.
Who leads the 5G FWA segment in India?
Reliance Jio dominates the 5G FWA segment with around 8.79 million subscribers, accounting for the majority share.
What is India’s current tele-density?
India’s wireless tele-density increased to 90.28%, indicating higher mobile penetration across the population.
Which operator leads in M2M (IoT) connections?
Bharti Airtel leads the M2M segment with approximately 62% market share, making it the top player in IoT connectivity.
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