India’s Mobile Base Hits 1.3 Billion as Jio and Airtel Dominate September Growth
TRAI data reveals India added 6.57 million mobile subscribers in September, with Jio and Airtel dominating the growth.
India's digital landscape continues to expand rapidly, with the country adding 6.57 million mobile subscribers in September 2026. According to the latest data released by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), this surge has pushed the total wireless mobile subscriber base to a staggering 1.3 billion.
The Giants Lead the Charge
The growth in September was heavily driven by the two biggest players in the market. Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel together accounted for over 5.3 million of the new additions, cementing their stronghold over the Indian telecom sector.
- Reliance Jio: Topped the charts by adding 2.71 million subscribers.
- Bharti Airtel: Followed closely behind with 2.69 million new users.
While the private giants soared, state-run operators saw mixed results. BSNL managed to add 6.26 lakh subscribers, and Vodafone Idea grew by 5.50 lakh. In contrast, MTNL faced a decline, losing 6,628 subscribers during the same period.
Urban vs. Rural Growth
The data reveals a clear distinction in how mobile adoption is progressing across different regions. The total wireless mobile subscriptions grew from 1,293.43 million in August to 1,300 million by the end of September, representing a monthly growth rate of 0.51 per cent.
Urban Expansion
Urban areas saw a more aggressive increase, with subscriptions rising from 748.84 million to 753.85 million. This reflects a monthly growth rate of 0.67 per cent.
Rural Penetration
Rural India also showed growth, though at a slower pace. Subscriptions increased from 544.58 million to 546.14 million, marking a growth rate of 0.29 per cent.
Broadband and Total Connectivity
Beyond standard mobile connections, the broader wireless subscriber base—which includes fixed wireless access services—rose to 1,319.19 million in September, up from 1,312.25 million in August. This indicates a net addition of 6.94 million subscribers.
The total telephone subscriber base, combining both wireless and wireline connections, reached 1,367.93 million. This represents an overall increase of 7.23 million subscribers, a monthly growth rate of 0.53 per cent. Additionally, broadband adoption is on the rise, with the subscriber base growing from 1,101.21 million in August to 1,107.68 million in September.
Tele-Density and Market Shifts
The overall tele-density in India—the number of telephone connections per 100 people—rose to 95.52 per cent in September, up from 95.07 per cent in August.
- Urban Tele-density: Increased from 155 per cent to 155.85 per cent.
- Rural Tele-density: Rose from 61.12 per cent to 61.30 per cent.
As of the end of September 2026, urban subscribers made up 59.05 per cent of the total telephone base, while rural subscribers accounted for 40.95 per cent.
Subscriber Churn and Wireline Trends
The report also highlighted a significant trend in customer behavior: 16.77 million subscribers requested Mobile Number Portability (MNP) in September, showing a high volume of users switching service providers while keeping their numbers.
Meanwhile, the wireline sector saw modest growth. The number of wireline subscribers increased by 0.29 million, moving from 48.45 million in August to 48.74 million in September, a monthly growth rate of 0.60 per cent.
According to TRAI, the number of active wireless mobile subscribers stood at 1,212.80 million by the end of the month.