Jio, Airtel, and Vodafone Idea See Subscriber Losses, While BSNL Records Growth in Sep 2024

India’s largest telecommunications operator, Reliance Jio, continued to experience significant subscriber losses for the third consecutive month, with 7.96 million wireless users leaving in September 2024. It was followed by Vodafone Idea and Bharti Airtel in terms of subscriber losses. During the same period, state-owned BSNL stood out as the only wireless subscriber gainer, according to data from TRAI as of September 30, 2024.

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Private Operators Report Declines

Surprisingly, Reliance Jio has been steadily losing wireless subscribers, marking September as the third consecutive month of decline. The operator reported losses of approximately 0.75 million subscribers in July, 4.01 million in August, and 7.96 million in September. Similarly, Airtel has also faced three straight months of subscriber losses, with declines of 1.7 million in July, 2.4 million in August, and 1.43 million in September. As for Vodafone Idea (Vi), subscriber losses have been a consistent trend for months, with 1.55 million subscribers leaving in September alone, according to TRAI.

BSNL’s Subscriber Growth Trend

Conversely, BSNL has shown a positive trend, adding wireless subscribers since July. The operator gained approximately 2.92 million subscribers in July, 2.53 million in August, and 0.84 million in September.

According to TRAI, Reliance Jio’s wireless subscriber base now stands at 463.78 million, followed by Airtel with 383.48 million, Vi with 212.45 million, and BSNL/MTNL with a combined base of around 93.8 million. This gives Reliance Jio a market share of 40.20 percent, Bharti Airtel 33.24 percent, Vodafone Idea 18.41 percent, and BSNL/MTNL approximately 8.15 percent.

Circle Specific Trends

Reliance Jio reported subscriber losses across all telecom circles. In contrast, Airtel managed to gain wireless subscribers in Delhi, Gujarat, Kerala, and Odisha. Vodafone Idea gained subscribers in Karnataka, Mumbai, and Odisha. Meanwhile, BSNL recorded losses in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, Assam, Haryana, Karnataka, Kolkata, and Mumbai but gained subscribers in all other circles.