NEW DELHI: Indian telecom sector had a mixed bag in 2024, marked by tariff hikes, subscriber losses, and fundraising by loss-making telecom service provider Vodafone Idea.
Despite these challenges, state-owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) emerged as the surprise winner, gaining users for the first time in recent years. In July, all major private telcos, including Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel, and Vodafone Idea raised their tariff plans by 25%. The move led to subscriber losses but helped improve their average revenue per user (ARPU).
Following the hikes, these telcos saw major subscriber attrition. Jio lost 758,463 subscribers in July 2024, 4 million in August, and 7.9 million in September 2024. Airtel lost 1.6 million subscribers in July, 2.4 million in August, and 1.4 million in September. Vi, India’s third-telco, lost 1.4 million subscribers in July, 1.87 million in August, and 1.5 million in September.
However, Airtel rebounded in October, adding 0.9 million subscribers. BSNL experienced steady growth, gaining 2.94 million subscribers in July, 2.5 million in August, 800,000 in September, and 500,000 in October.
A major development this year was face-off between Indian telecom service providers and foreign satellite players like Starlink and Amazon. While Indian telcos such Airtel and Jio favoured an auction route for satellite communication, foreign players preferred an allocation route, to start satellite services in the country. Interestingly, the Indian government is in favour of the allocation route.