“The Indian Telecom Services Yearly Performance Indicators” for the year 2025-26

TRAI today has released the “The Indian Telecom Services-Yearly Performance Indicators” for the year 2025-26. This Report provides a broad perspective of the Telecom Services in India and presents the key parameters and growth trends of the Telecom Services as well as Cable TV, DTH & Radio Broadcasting services in India for the period covering 1st April 2025 to 31st March 2026. This report is compiled mainly on the basis of the information furnished by the Service Providers.

Executive Summary of the Report is given below. The complete Report is available on TRAI’s website www.trai.gov.in and under the link http://www. trai.gov.in/release-publication/reports/performance-indicators-reports. Any suggestion or any clarification pertaining to this report, Shri Vijay Kumar, Advisor (F&EA), TRAI may be contacted on Tel. +91-20907773 and e-mail: advfea1@trai.gov.in.

Executive Summary

Total number of internet subscribers increased from 969.10 million at the end of March 2025 to 1092.79 million at the end of March 2026 with yearly rate of growth of 12.76%. Out of total 1092.79 million internet subscribers, number of broadband subscribers is 1065.88 million, and number of narrowband subscribers is 26.91 million at the end of March 2026. Number of Broadband subscribers increased from 944.12 million at the end of March 2025 to 1,065.88 million at the end of March 2026 with yearly rate of growth of 12.90%. The number of Narrowband subscribers also increased from 24.98 million at the end of March 2025 to 26.91 million at the end of March 2026 with yearly rate of growth of 7.72%. Average Revenue Per User (ARPU) per month for wireless service increased from ₹174.46 in 2024-25 to ₹180.73 in 2025-26, thereby showing a yearly rate of growth of 3.59%. During the year 2025-26, the Average Revenue Per User (ARPU) per month for prepaid service was ₹190.66 and ARPU per month for postpaid service was ₹119.76*. During the year 2025-26, Average Total Minutes of Usage (MOUs) per subscriber per month were 950*. During the year 2025-26, the Minutes of Usage (MOUs) per subscriber per month for postpaid services were 305* and for prepaid services were 1055. Number of wireless data subscribers has increased from 939.51 million at the end of March 2025 to 1026.75 million at the end of March 2026 with yearly rate of growth of 9.29%. Further, total volume of wireless data usage also increased from 2,28,779 PB during the year 2024-25 to 2,85,376 PB during the year 2025-26 with yearly growth of 24.74%. Total revenue from wireless data usage increased from ₹2,15,078 crore in the year 2024-25 to ₹2,39,874 crore in the year 2025-26 with yearly rate of growth of 11.53%. Average revenue realization per GB for wireless data usage decreased from ₹8.97 in 2024-25 to ₹8.02 in 2025-26 with yearly rate of decline 10.59%. Note: *M/s Bharti Airtel Ltd. (BAL) was not including their M2M cellular subscriber base in their wireless (Mobile) subscriber base in earlier reports, while remaining operators were including their M2M Cellular subscriber base in their wireless (mobile) subscriber base. M/s BAL has now furnished its revised reports for FY 2025-26 including the M2M subscriber base and related indicators. The wireless subscriber base and related indicators have accordingly been calculated by incorporating revised reports of M/s BAL for FY 2025-26.

Average Wireless Data Usage per wireless data subscriber per month increased from 21.53 GB 2024-25 to ₹25.51 GB in 2025-26 with yearly rate of growth 18.49% The total number of telephone subscribers in India increased from 1,200.80 million at the end of March 2025 to 1,330.58 million at the end of March 2026, registering a yearly rate of growth 10.81%. The overall Tele-density in India increased from 85.04% at the end of March 2025 to 93.26% at the end of March 2026 at yearly rate of growth 9.66%. Telephone subscription in Urban Areas increased from 666.11 million at the end of March 2025 to 778.79 million at the end of March 2026 at the yearly rate of growth 16.92%. Urban Tele-density also increased from 131.45% at the end of March 2025 to 151.47% at the end of March 2026 with yearly rate of growth of 15.23%. Rural telephone subscription increased from 534.69 million at the end of March 2025 to 551.79 million at the end of March 2026 at the yearly rate of growth of 3.20% and Rural Tele-density also increased from 59.06% to 60.46% during the same period of time. 14.Out of the total telephone subscription, the shares of Rural telephone subscription decreased from 44.53% at the end of March 2025 to 41.47% at the end of March 2026. The following chart depicts the rural-urban market share of telephone subscribers for the four years. 15.Out of 1,330.58 million total telephone subscribers, the number of Wireless (Mobile+FWA) Telephone subscribers is 1,282.33 million and the number of Wireline Telephone subscribers is 48.25 million at the end of March 2026. The following chart depicts the market share of Wireless and Wireline subscribers in India. 16.Total Wireless (Mobile+FWA) subscribers increased from 1,163.76 million at the end of March 2025 to 1,282.33 million at the end of March 2026, thereby showing a yearly rate of growth of 10.19%[1]. During the year 2025-26, net addition of 118.58 million wireless subscribers was recorded. 17.Overall Wireless (Mobile+FWA) Teledensity increased from 82.42% at the end of March 2025 to 89.88% at the end of March-26. Rural wireless Teledensity increased from 58.67% to 59.89% and Urban wireless Teledensity also increased from 124.83% to 143.10% at the end of March 2026. 18.Wireless (Mobile) subscribers increased from 1,156.99 million at the end of Mar-25 to 1,265.73 million at the end of March-26, thereby showing a yearly rate of growth of 9.40%*. During the year 2025-26, net addition of 108.74 million wireless subscribers was recorded. 19.Wireless (Mobile) Teledensity increased from 81.94% at the end of March 2025 to 88.71% at the end of March 2026. Rural wireless Teledensity increased from 58.40% at the end of March 2025 to 59.08% at the end of March 2026 and Urban wireless Teledensity also increased from 123.99% to 141.30% during the same period of time. 20.Total Wireline subscriber base increased from 37.04 million at the end of March 2025 to 48.25 million at the end of March 2026 with yearly rate of growth of 30.25%. 21.Overall Wireline Tele-density increased from 2.62% at the end of March-25 to 3.38% at the end of Mar-26. During the same period Rural wireline tele-density increased from 0.39% to 0.57% and Urban wireline tele-density also increased from 6.62% to 8.37%. 22.Gross Revenue (GR) increased from ₹3,72,097 crore in the year 2024-25 to ₹4,04,067 crore in the year 2025-26 with yearly rate of growth of 8.59% and 23.Applicable Gross Revenue (ApGR) also increased from ₹3,56,283 crore to ₹3,81,645 crore with yearly growth rate of 7.12% during same period. Adjusted Gross 24.Revenue (AGR) increased from ₹ 3,03,025 crore in the year 2024-25 to ₹ 3,34,659 crore in the year 2025-26 with yearly rate of growth of 10.44%. Pass through charges decreased by 13.63% from ₹52,879 crore in the year 2024-25 to ₹45,673 crore in the year 2025-26. Pass-through charges as a percentage of 25.Gross Revenue are 11.30% in 2025-26 as against 14.21% in the previous financial year. Spectrum Usage Charges (SUC) yearly increased by 6.12% from ₹3,807 crore in the year 2024-25 to ₹4,040 crore in the year 2025-26 and License Fee also increased by 10.40% from ₹24,242 crore to ₹26,763 crore during the same period.