Vodafone Idea Lost Rural Mobile Users in May as Airtel and Jio Gained: TRAI
Vodafone Idea added mobile subscribers overall in May 2026, but its rural wireless mobile subscriber base declined. TRAI data shows Airtel and Jio gained rural subscribers during the same month, while India's overall rural wireless mobile subscriber base also expanded.
Vodafone Idea (Vi) added mobile subscribers in May 2026, but its rural subscriber base declined during the month, according to the latest telecom subscription data released by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI). Vi’s wireless mobile subscriber base increased from 198,538,052 at the end of April 2026 to 198,659,341 at the end of May 2026. The operator added 121,289 mobile subscribers during the month.
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Key Highlights
Vodafone Idea added mobile subscribers in May 2026, but its rural wireless mobile subscriber base declined, according to TRAI.
Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio both added rural mobile subscribers during the month as India's rural wireless mobile market expanded.
Vodafone Idea added 121,289 mobile subscribers overall, while Airtel and Jio added 2.93 million and 2.15 million subscribers, respectively.
However, Vi’s rural wireless mobile subscriber base declined from 93,227,734 in April to 93,080,793 in May. This means the operator lost 146,941 rural mobile subscribers during the month. Vi’s overall subscriber growth was supported by urban additions, which offset the rural decline.
Bharti Airtel and Jio Added Rural Mobile Subscribers
The rural decline becomes more notable because India’s overall rural wireless mobile subscriber base increased during the same period. TRAI data shows that the country’s rural wireless mobile subscriber base increased from 541,604,702 in April to 542,364,445 in May 2026. Bharti Airtel’s rural wireless mobile subscriber base increased from 199,034,647 to 200,599,944, adding 1,565,297 rural subscribers during the month.
Reliance Jio’s rural wireless mobile subscriber base also increased from 218,517,584 to 218,802,413, adding 284,829 subscribers. This means Vodafone Idea lost rural subscribers in a month when the overall rural mobile market expanded and both Airtel and Jio added rural users. However, TRAI’s data does not indicate whether Vodafone Idea’s lost subscribers moved to Airtel, Jio or any other telecom operator.
Vodafone Idea’s Overall Subscriber Gain Was Smaller Than Airtel and Jio
India’s overall wireless mobile subscriber base increased from 1,271,904,668 at the end of April 2026 to 1,276,998,869 at the end of May 2026, adding 5,094,201 subscribers during the month.
Bharti Airtel added 2,926,907 wireless mobile subscribers during May, while Reliance Jio added 2,154,468 subscribers. Vodafone Idea remained in positive territory with 121,289 net additions, but its subscriber growth was considerably smaller than that of Airtel and Jio.
For Vodafone Idea, the rural decline stands out because rural India continues to account for a significant portion of the country’s mobile subscriber base. The May data shows that while the operator added subscribers overall, its rural subscriber trend moved in the opposite direction to Airtel and Jio.
MNP Requests Remained High in May
TRAI’s Mobile Number Portability (MNP) data also showed that switching activity remained high during the month. India recorded 14.46 million MNP requests in May 2026, slightly lower than 14.74 million recorded in April.
MNP allows subscribers to change their telecom operator while retaining their existing mobile number. However, TRAI’s report provides only circle-wise MNP request data and does not publish operator-wise port-in or port-out figures. Therefore, it would not be accurate to conclude that Vodafone Idea’s rural subscriber losses directly translated into gains for Airtel or Jio.
Vodafone Idea Also Trailed Airtel and Jio in Active Subscriber Ratio
TRAI’s Visitor Location Register (VLR) data also showed differences in active subscriber ratios among operators. Vodafone Idea’s active subscriber ratio stood at 84.41 percent in May 2026. Bharti Airtel recorded 99.28 percent, while Reliance Jio reported 98.83 percent.
VLR data represents the proportion of subscribers who were active on the network on the date of peak VLR. While it does not explain why subscribers are inactive, it provides an indication of how much of an operator’s reported subscriber base was active during the period.
The latest TRAI data shows that Vodafone Idea added mobile subscribers overall during May 2026, but lost rural subscribers while Airtel and Jio expanded their rural wireless mobile subscriber base. For Vodafone Idea, the rural subscriber trend remains an important area to watch in the coming months.
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FAQs
Did Vodafone Idea add mobile subscribers in May 2026?
Yes. According to TRAI, Vodafone Idea's wireless mobile subscriber base increased by 121,289 subscribers during May 2026, taking its total subscriber base to 198,659,341.
Why did Vodafone Idea's rural subscriber base decline?
TRAI data shows Vodafone Idea's rural wireless mobile subscriber base declined from 93,227,734 in April 2026 to 93,080,793 in May 2026, a decline of 146,941 subscribers. The report does not specify the reasons for the decline.
How did Airtel and Jio perform in rural India during May 2026?
Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio both added rural wireless mobile subscribers during May 2026. Airtel added 1,565,297 rural subscribers, while Jio added 284,829 rural subscribers, according to TRAI.
Did India's rural wireless mobile subscriber base grow in May 2026?
Yes. TRAI data shows India's rural wireless mobile subscriber base increased from 541,604,702 at the end of April 2026 to 542,364,445 at the end of May 2026.
Does TRAI's data show where Vodafone Idea's lost subscribers moved?
No. TRAI publishes operator-wise subscriber numbers and circle-wise Mobile Number Portability (MNP) requests, but it does not provide operator-wise port-in or port-out data. Therefore, it cannot be concluded where Vodafone Idea's lost rural subscribers moved.
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