Jio Leads, Airtel Gains, Vi Loses Subscribers in June 2025

India's telecommunications sector demonstrated steady growth in June 2025, with total telephone subscribers reaching a significant milestone. 

The latest data reveals strong performance across both wireless and wireline segments, reflecting continued digital adoption nationwide.

Reliance Jio Widens Lead with Strong Subscriber Growth

Reliance Jio emerged as the clear frontrunner in wireless subscriber additions for June, far surpassing Bharti Airtel by adding 1.9 million new users. In contrast, Airtel’s net gain stood at 7,63,482 subscribers during the same month, according to the latest data released by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI).

Jio not only dominated in net additions but also retained its leadership in the wireless broadband segment and continued to report the highest share of active users in the country.

Vodafone Idea (Vi) and Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) saw continued erosion in their subscriber bases. Vi recorded a loss of 2,17,816 users, while BSNL’s numbers declined by 305,766 during the month of June. The ongoing subscriber decline highlights the financial and operational challenges both entities face in a competitive telecom environment.

M2M Cellular Mobile Connections: Airtel Held Largest Share

The number of Machine-to-Machine (M2M) cellular mobile connections increased significantly from 73.91 million at the end of May 2025 to 79.44 million at the end of June 2025.

Market Share by Operator (M2M)

• Bharti Airtel Limited held the largest share with 44.67 million M2M connections, commanding a market share of 56.23%.
  
   
• Vodafone Idea Limited followed with a 21.48% share.
  
   
• Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited accounted for 17.9%.
  
   
• BSNL held a 4.32% share of the M2M market.

Wireless Subscriber Base Growth and Distribution

Total wireless subscribers increased from 1,161.03 million at the end of May 2025 to 1,163.03 million at the end of June 2025, thereby registering a monthly growth rate of 0.17%. Wireless subscription in urban areas increased from 630.42 million to 633.14 million, while rural areas decreased from 530.60 million to 529.88 million during the same period.

Private access service providers held 92.20% market share of the wireless subscribers, whereas BSNL and MTNL, the 2 PSU access service providers, had a market share of only 7.80%.

Read More: Tata Communications Receives ₹7,800 Crore Demand Notice from DoT for AGR Dues!

Broadband (Wired+Wireless) Subscribers Cross 979 Million 

Total broadband subscribers reached 979.71 million in June 2025, comprising 935.02 million wireless broadband and 44.69 million wireline broadband subscribers. 

The top 5 broadband service providers include Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd with 497.06 million subscribers, Bharti Airtel Ltd with 304.32 million subscribers, Vodafone Idea Ltd with 127.40 million subscribers, BSNL with 33.68 million subscribers, and Atria Convergence Technologies Ltd with 2.33 million subscribers.

Tele Density and Geographic Distribution

The overall tele density in India increased from 85.36% at the end of May 2025 to 86.09% at the end of June 2025. Urban tele density increased from 131.76% to 133.56%, while rural tele density also increased from 59.33% to 59.43% during the same period. The share of urban and rural subscribers in total telephone subscribers at the end of June 2025 was 55.80% and 44.20% respectively.

Mobile Number Portability Activity

In June 2025, 13.58 million subscribers submitted their requests for Mobile Number Portability, indicating active consumer choice in service provider selection. The cumulative number of porting requests reached 1,160.03 million by the end of June 2025.

Conclusion

India's telecom sector continues its growth trajectory with total telephone subscribers reaching 1,218.36 million in June 2025, recording a healthy 0.93% monthly growth rate. The sector demonstrates balanced development across wireless and wireline segments, with broadband subscribers crossing 979 million and tele density improving across urban and rural areas.

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