Airtel Surpasses Jio in Subscriber Additions for December, Says Trai

Bharti Airtel outperformed market leader Reliance Jio in net subscriber additions in December 2025, marking the first time since January 2025 that Airtel has taken the lead, according to the latest data released by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai).

The development highlights a notable shift in monthly customer acquisition trends within India’s highly competitive telecom sector.

Airtel Leads Net Subscriber Additions

December Subscriber Growth Comparison

• Bharti Airtel added 5.43 million net new subscribers

• Reliance Jio added 2.96 million net subscribers

This performance allowed Airtel to surpass Jio in monthly additions after nearly a year, underscoring improving momentum for the Sunil Mittal-led telecom operator.

Vodafone Idea and BSNL Subscriber Trends

Vodafone Idea Losses Moderate

Subscriber losses at Vodafone Idea eased in December:

• December loss: 0.94 million

• November loss: 1.01 million

Despite the moderation, the operator continued to see erosion in its customer base.

BSNL Reports Subscriber Decline

State-owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) recorded a subscriber loss of 0.21 million in December, after reporting additions for three consecutive months. In November, BSNL had added 0.42 million subscribers.

Total Subscriber Base at End-December 2025

Operator-Wise Subscriber Numbers

At the end of December 2025:

• Reliance Jio: 489 million (November: 486.1 million)

• Bharti Airtel: 463.4 million (November: 458 million)

• Vodafone Idea: 198.7 million (November: 199.7 million)

• BSNL: 92.7 million (November: 92.9 million)

Airtel Stays Ahead in 5G Fixed Wireless Access (FWA)

December 5G FWA Additions

Airtel also outpaced Jio in 5G fixed wireless access (FWA) customer additions for the second consecutive month:

• Airtel: 0.31 million new users

• Jio: 0.28 million new users

Total 5G FWA Subscriber Base

• Jio 5G FWA base: 7.92 million (November: 7.65 million)

• Airtel 5G FWA base: 2.5 million (November: 2.76 million)

• Total FWA subscribers in India: 10.99 million (November: 10.41 million)

Jio, which has also launched UBR FWA, added 0.4 million new customers during the month, taking its total UBR FWA base to 3.57 million (November: 3.19 million).

India’s Mobile Subscriber Base Continues to Grow

Urban Markets Drive Growth

According to Trai data:

• Total mobile subscribers increased by 8.21 million to 1.26 billion in December

• Urban subscriber additions: 6.86 million

• Rural subscriber additions: 1.35 million

Urban markets continued to lead growth, reflecting higher smartphone penetration and data usage.

Market Share Shifts Among Telecom Operators

Subscriber Market Share – December 2025

• Jio: 39.31% (November: 41.41%)

• Airtel: 37.24% (November: 33.64%)

• Vodafone Idea: 15.98% (November: 17.01%)

• BSNL: 7.46% (November: 7.92%)

The rise in monthly churn accelerated market share losses for Vodafone Idea, while Airtel gained ground significantly.

Active Subscribers and Broadband Growth

Active Subscriber Base

• Active subscribers accounted for 93.47% of total wireless users (November: 92.93%)

• Total active subscribers: 1.163 billion (November: 1.091 billion)

Operator-Wise Active User Ratio

• Airtel: 98.96%

• Jio: 98.25%

• Vodafone Idea: 85.3%

Fixed Broadband and MNP Trends

• Fixed broadband subscribers rose to 45.29 million (November: 45.11 million)

• Mobile Number Portability (MNP) requests: 16.12 million in December

Conclusion

The latest Trai data shows Bharti Airtel gaining strong momentum across both mobile and 5G FWA segments, while Reliance Jio’s market share declined month-on-month. Moderating losses at Vodafone Idea and renewed pressure on BSNL highlight the continued churn and competitive intensity within India’s telecom industry.