Jio is the clear market leader across multiple fronts — subscriber additions, active user growth, and fixed wireless access (FWA) dominance, according to the latest TRAI data for April 2025.
Wireless Leadership: Jio Powers Industry Growth
Jio added 2.6 million overall subscribers in April, after adding 2.2 million in March and 1.8 million in February. In contrast:
Bharti Airtel’s subscriber addition was muted at 0.2 million.
Vodafone Idea continued to bleed, losing 0.6 million subscribers.
Active subscriber additions further highlight Jio’s strength:
Jio added a record 5.5 million active subscribers in April, marking its second consecutive month of 5+ million VLR additions.
Airtel suffered 4.1 million decline in active users, indicating potential challenges in retaining quality subscribers.
Vi’s active user base eroded by 1.1 million, and BSNL also lost 1.8 million.
Jio’s VLR (Visitor Location Register) ratio, a key indicator of active user base quality, improved to 96.6 percent, inching closer to Airtel’s 98.9 percent while maintaining a significant lead over Vi (85.1 percent) and BSNL (61.4 percent).
Fixed Wireless Access: Jio Extends Market Dominance
Jio’s push in the Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) segment through JioAirFiber continues to deliver strong results:
Added 0.57 million new FWA subscribers in April (up from 0.33 million in March).
Captured an 82 percent market share in the FWA space with a 6.14 million subscriber base, leaving Airtel trailing with a distant 18 percent share.
JioAirFiber’s widespread availability across 5,900+ cities/towns has been a key driver of this success.
5G Leadership & Broadband Impact
Bharti Airtel, while showing some growth in 5G FWA (adding 0.16 million in April), remains far behind Jio’s scale.
On the broadband front, April saw record additions of 0.91 million fixed broadband users (wireline + FWA), with Jio driving this surge by contributing nearly 4x Airtel’s additions.
M2M Shows Stability
In the Machine-to-Machine (M2M) segment:
Jio’s market share remained stable at 18.2 percent.
Bharti leads with 53.3 percent, while Vi holds 23.6 percent.
Competitors’ Struggles Highlight Jio’s Strength
Bharti Airtel’s sharp drop in active subscribers raises questions about churn and retention strategies, despite its traditionally strong VLR ratio.
Vi continues to face a decline in both overall and active subscribers, highlighting the precariousness of its position in the market.
BSNL’s consistent losses reflect its ongoing challenges in competing in the evolving telecom landscape.
Jio’s Growth Story
Jio’s subscriber growth, improving active base, and clear leadership in 5G FWA underscore its strategic execution and market dominance. While competitors like BSNL, Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea face challenges in both retention and new additions, Jio’s push into new segments like FWA, coupled with its expansive 5G rollout, positions it as the key driver of the Indian telecom industry’s growth.
TelecomLead.com News Desk
