After months of lagging behind, state-owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) outperformed Bharti Airtel in new mobile subscriber additions in August 2025, marking a significant milestone in the telecom sector. According to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), BSNL added 13.85 lakh new customers during the month, compared to Airtel’s 4.96 lakh, while Reliance Jio maintained its leadership with over 19 lakh new additions.
The total number of telephone subscribers in India grew to 122.45 crore by the end of August, up from 122 crore in July — fueled by a net addition of 35.19 lakh mobile users.
Mobile Market Snapshot – August 2025
| Operator | New Mobile Customers (August) |
|---|---|
| Reliance Jio | Over 19 lakh |
| BSNL | 13.85 lakh |
| Bharti Airtel | 4.96 lakh |
| Vodafone Idea | -3.08 lakh (decline) |
Vodafone Idea was the biggest loser, witnessing a net loss of 3.08 lakh subscribers during the month.
BSNL’s Comeback with 4G Rollout
BSNL last led the market in September 2024, shortly after private operators hiked tariffs, even while offering only 3G services. Its recent nationwide 4G rollout has significantly improved its competitiveness, attracting new users and strengthening its position in India’s telecom landscape.
Broadband and Wireline Trends
In broadband, Jio dominated with over 50 crore users, followed by Airtel (30.9 crore) and Vodafone Idea (12.7 crore).
In the wireline segment, Jio reported a decline of 15.5 lakh users due to a reclassification of its Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) subscribers, now counted under wireless. Tata Teleservices, Airtel, and Vodafone Idea led growth in wireline, while MTNL and BSNL continued to lose subscribers.
M2M and Future Outlook
In M2M (machine-to-machine) connectivity, Airtel led with 5.26 crore connections (58.66% share), followed by Vodafone Idea, Jio, and BSNL.
BSNL’s surge signals renewed competition in India’s telecom market, driven by new technology rollouts and evolving subscriber demand.
