BSNL Gains Mobile Subscribers in 11 Circles, Led by Haryana, Rajasthan, Karnataka and Kerala: TRAI

Highlights

BSNL gained wireless mobile subscribers in 11 telecom circles in May 2026, led by Haryana, Rajasthan, Karnataka and Kerala.
The biggest BSNL gains came from Haryana (18,060), Rajasthan (15,058), Karnataka (13,968) and Kerala (9,535).
Despite these circle-level gains, BSNL’s national wireless mobile base declined by 104,660 subscribers during May 2026.

Live

Hardik Jagda

CEO Proximity

AI is becoming central to modern sports broadcasting

Andrew Bonwick

Vice President of Product Development at Relm Insurance

How insurance and risk models are evolving to support satellite connectivity

Madhav Sheth

CEO of Ai+ Smartphone

Bold attempt to design smartphones specifically for Indian consumers.

Stephen Rose

CEO Render Networks

Why execution in the trenches may be the real key to AI readiness

BSNL Gains Mobile Subscribers in 11 Circles, Led by Haryana, Rajasthan, Karnataka and Kerala: TRAI

Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) added wireless mobile subscribers in 11 telecom circles in May 2026, even as the operator’s national mobile subscriber base declined during the month, according to the latest telecom subscription data released by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI). The gains were led by Haryana, Rajasthan, Karnataka and Kerala. In Haryana, BSNL’s wireless mobile subscriber base increased from 4,559,710 in April to 4,577,770 in May, a gain of 18,060 subscribers.

Make Telecom Talk My Trusted Source

Key Highlights

BSNL added wireless mobile subscribers in 11 telecom circles during May 2026, led by Haryana, Rajasthan, Karnataka and Kerala.
Despite the gains, BSNL's national wireless mobile subscriber base declined by 104,660 subscribers during the month.
India's overall wireless mobile subscriber base continued to grow, adding more than 5 million subscribers in May 2026.

Rajasthan followed with a gain of 15,058 subscribers, as BSNL’s base increased from 5,742,178 to 5,757,236. In Karnataka, BSNL added 13,968 subscribers, with its base increasing from 4,725,412 to 4,739,380. Kerala also recorded a gain of 9,535 subscribers, with BSNL’s base increasing from 8,961,337 to 8,970,872.

Himachal Pradesh, UP West and Gujarat Also Added Users

BSNL also gained subscribers in Himachal Pradesh, UP West, Gujarat, UP East, Punjab, Kolkata and the North East circle in Himachal Pradesh, BSNL added 8,375 subscribers, with its wireless mobile base increasing from 1,780,772 to 1,789,147. In UP West, the operator gained 6,523 subscribers, while Gujarat recorded a gain of 3,347 subscribers.

UP East also saw BSNL add 2,262 subscribers during the month. Punjab added 1,860 subscribers, Kolkata added 1,604, and the North East circle added 231 subscribers.

These gains show that BSNL recorded positive movement in select telecom circles despite overall subscriber pressure.

BSNL Still Declined Nationally

At the national level, however, BSNL’s wireless mobile subscriber base declined in May 2026. TRAI data showed that BSNL’s wireless mobile base fell from 93,019,648 in April to 92,914,988 in May this resulted in a net decline of 104,660 subscribers.

trai data may2026

The national fall was driven by losses in several circles. BSNL lost 72,449 subscribers in Bihar, 41,481 in Tamil Nadu, 32,451 in Maharashtra, 22,412 in Andhra Pradesh, 7,571 in Madhya Pradesh, and 4,941 in Assam.

These losses outweighed the gains made in the 11 circles where BSNL added subscribers.

India’s Mobile Base Continued to Grow

India’s overall wireless mobile subscriber base increased from 1,271,904,668 at the end of April to 1,276,998,869 at the end of May 2026, adding 5,094,201 subscribers during the month among private operators, Bharti Airtel added 2,926,907 wireless mobile subscribers, Reliance Jio added 2,154,468, and Vodafone Idea added 121,289. BSNL and MTNL recorded subscriber declines nationally.

For BSNL, the May 2026 data shows a mixed picture. The operator lost subscribers nationally, but gains in Haryana, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Kerala and seven other circles point to pockets of growth in select markets.

Some people read for free. A few choose to support. If you found TelecomTalk useful, you can help keep us running.

FAQs

How many telecom circles did BSNL gain mobile subscribers in during May 2026?

According to TRAI, BSNL added wireless mobile subscribers in 11 telecom circles during May 2026, including Haryana, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Kerala, Himachal Pradesh, UP West, Gujarat, UP East, Punjab, Kolkata and the North East.

Which telecom circle recorded the highest subscriber gain for BSNL?

Haryana recorded BSNL's highest wireless mobile subscriber gain during May 2026, with the operator adding 18,060 subscribers.

Did BSNL's overall mobile subscriber base grow in May 2026?

No. Despite adding subscribers in 11 telecom circles, BSNL's national wireless mobile subscriber base declined by 104,660 subscribers during May 2026, according to TRAI.