The Indian telecom sector's gross revenue (GR) for QE September 2023 was Rs 82,741 crore. The applicable gross revenue (ApGR) and adjusted gross revenue (AGR) were Rs 79,747 crore and Rs 66,583 crore, respectively. The data has been shared by TRAI (Telecom Regulatory Authority of India) in its latest quarterly performance report. According to the report, the GR increased by 2.28%, ApGR increased by 1.78% and AGR increased by 1.46% in QE September 2023 compared to the previous quarter.
TRAI said that the YoY growth rate in GR, ApGR, and AGR in QE September 2023 over the same quarter last year has been 1.22%, 6.74%, and 7.43%. The pass-through charges increased from Rs 13,220 crore in QE June 2023 to Rs 13,425 crore in QE Sep 2023.
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License Fee Collection Rises 8.23% YoY
During the quarter, the license fee collection from the sector was Rs 5,326 crore, up 8.23% YoY from Rs 5,246 crore in the previous quarter. On a QoQ basis, the license fee collection grew by 1.53% for the government.
The spectrum usage charge (SUC) was Rs 836 crore during the quarter, about 40% less YoY.
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Amongst the four telecom operators in India, Jio registered the highest AGR of Rs 24,217.13 crore with a 9.12% YoY rise. Airtel, the second-largest telecom operator in the country, registered the second-highest AGR of Rs 19,804 crore during the quarter imputing a 10.88% YoY growth. Vodafone Idea (Vi) stood in the third rank with an AGR of Rs 7,507.65 crore. BSNL's AGR grew 1.93% to Rs 1,966.44 crore while MTNL's AGR declined 16.35% on a YoY basis to Rs 168.69 crore.
The private telcos accounted for 81.67% of the total AGR for the government. As the tariffs go up and the gross revenues of the telcos increase, the overall revenue for the government will also increase. The Department of Telecommunication (DoT) also earns money through the spectrum auctions, which is now going to happen again soon in India.
