Summary:
TRAI data shows that Jio added the highest number of wireless subscribers in August 2026, with 2.40 million new users, followed by Airtel with 2.11 million, Vi with 0.51 million and BSNL with 0.49 million. Overall tele-density increased to 95.07%, while Jio remained the largest wireless operator with a 39.31% market share. In the wireline segment, Jio and Airtel gained subscribers, while Vi recorded a decline and BSNL saw a marginal increase. TRAI also reported 15.83 million MNP requests during August, taking the cumulative total to 1,372.04 million.
According to the latest figures published by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), Bharti Airtel, Reliance Jio, Vodafone Idea Limited (Vi) and Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) recorded additions of 2.11 million, 2.40 million, 0.51 million and 0.49 million wireless mobile subscribers, respectively, in August 2026. As a result, their respective wireless subscriber bases reached 491.60 million for Airtel, 508.43 million for Jio, 199.57 million for Vi and 93.67 million for BSNL.
TRAI’s data also indicated that Airtel’s rural wireless subscriber base fell by 0.481 million during August 2026, while Jio and BSNL registered increases of 0.983 million and 0.125 million rural subscribers, respectively. Vi, meanwhile, recorded a decline of 0.317 million rural subscribers. Overall tele-density rose to 95.07 per cent in August 2026, compared with 94.68 per cent in July 2026.
In the wireline segment, Airtel and Jio added 0.131 million and 0.187 million subscribers, respectively, taking their landline subscriber bases to 12.28 million and 15.97 million in August 2026. Vi, on the other hand, lost 0.007 million users, bringing its landline base down to 0.75 million. BSNL added 0.002 million wireline subscribers, increasing its landline subscriber base to 6.65 million.
During August 2026, Airtel retained a wireless subscriber market share of 38.01 per cent, the same as in July. Jio’s share edged up to 39.31 per cent from 39.29 per cent. Vi’s market share decreased to 15.43 per cent from 15.46 per cent, while BSNL’s share rose marginally to 7.24 per cent from 7.23 per cent in the previous month.
TRAI further reported that 15.83 million subscribers submitted Mobile Number Portability (MNP) requests during August 2026. Consequently, the total number of MNP requests since the service was introduced rose from 1,356.51 million at the end of July 2026 to 1,372.04 million.
