Telecom Tariffs May Rise 12-15% Over Next 3-4 Months, Says Centrum

India's telecom sector could witness another 12–15% tariff hike over the next 3–4 months, according to a Centrum Institutional Research preview for the telecom and internet sector. They said the pricing environment has become more favourable following market consolidation, with the industry effectively operating with 3+1 players. 

Telecom Tariff Hike Soon 

As mentioned in The Economic Times, the improved industry structure has strengthened pricing power, creating room for another round of tariff increases. Centrum expects telecom operators to implement a 12–15% tariff hike over the next 3–4 months, following previous revisions in mobile service charges. 

Centrum also expects the three private telecom operators to report a 1–1.5% quarter-on-quarter increase in Average Revenue Per User (ARPU) during the June 2026 quarter.  

The expected improvement is attributed to the continued migration of subscribers from 2G to 4G and 5G networks, growth in postpaid subscribers, and a higher number of days in the quarter. 

Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio Expected to Lead Subscriber Additions 

Centrum expects Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio to continue gaining market share at the expense of Vodafone Idea.  

According to the report, Reliance Jio is expected to add around 7 million subscribers on a quarter-on-quarter basis, while Bharti Airtel may add approximately 5 million subscribers. Vodafone Idea is expected to add about 0.2 million subscribers during the same period. 

Centrum also expects data consumption per subscriber to remain robust as 4G, and 5G adoption continues to increase.  

The report noted that Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel have already covered more than 90% of districts with 5G services and are focusing on increasing the number of 5G-enabled devices on their networks. Both operators are also witnessing continued additions in 5G Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) and fixed broadband services. 

It added that Vodafone Idea is expanding its 5G network, which is now available in around 100 cities. It also highlighted that the company's adjusted gross revenue (AGR) dues have reduced to around ₹25,000 crore in present value terms. 

Read More: Bharti Airtel Share Price in Focus; DoT Imposes ₹2.08 Lakh Penalty Over Subscriber Verification Norms 

TRAI May 2026 Telecom Subscriber Data 

Separately, Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) data showed that India added 5.09 million mobile subscribers during May 2026, taking the total wireless subscriber base, including Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) users, to 1.29 billion. Although subscriber additions moderated from 6.18 million in April, the telecom sector continued to expand. 

Bharti Airtel led the monthly additions with 2.9 million new subscribers, followed by Reliance Jio with 2.15 million. Vodafone Idea and BSNL also reported positive net additions of 1.21 lakh and 1.05 lakh subscribers, respectively.  

Urban areas accounted for the majority of the growth, with wireless subscriptions increasing by 4.58 million, compared with an addition of 0.93 million in rural markets. 

Telecom Stocks Performance on July 6, 2026 

As of July 6, 2026, at 12:49 PM, Bharti Airtel share price was trading at ₹1,929.70 each on the NSE, up 1.01% for the day. Meanwhile, Vodafone Idea share price was trading at ₹14.20 each on the NSE, down 0.35%. 

Conclusion 

As mentioned in The Economic Times, Centrum expects India's telecom industry to witness another 12–15% tariff hike over the next 3–4 months, supported by an improving pricing environment and continued migration to 4G and 5G services.  

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