Reliance Jio added millions of new active users in April 2025, while competitors like Bharti Airtel, Vodafone Idea (Vi), and BSNL saw a drop in their active subscriber bases. While total subscriber numbers often dominate headlines, it’s the active user base—also known as VLR (Visitor Location Register) subscribers—that truly reflects paying customers and revenue potential.
Active Subscriber Data: TRAI Report for April 2025
According to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), Jio’s active user base rose from 451 million to 456.55 million, marking a net gain of 5.55 million active users.
- Bharti Airtel’s active users dropped from 389.68 million to 385.58 million, a decline of 4.1 million.
- Vodafone Idea (Vi) lost 1.14 million active users.
- BSNL saw a fall of 1.75 million active users.
Reliance Jio was the only operator to register an increase in active users during the month. This growth directly contributes to Jio’s top-line revenue, despite its lower ARPU (Average Revenue Per User) compared to Airtel.
Airtel Faces ARPU and Subscriber Challenges
April wasn’t just challenging for Airtel in terms of subscribers. The telco also reported a decline in ARPU for Q4 FY25. While shedding inactive or non-paying users might improve the VLR percentage, it doesn’t necessarily translate into better revenue performance.
Meanwhile, Jio also led in expanding its 5G FWA (Fixed Wireless Access) user base through AirFiber, strengthening its market dominance. As for Vi and BSNL, continued losses in their subscriber bases reflect ongoing struggles in customer retention and network competitiveness.
