Despite tariff hikes by mobile operators, India’s wireless subscriber base continued to grow, registering an annual growth rate of 9.40% in 2025-26.
According to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI)’s The Indian Telecom Services – Yearly Performance Indicators for 2025-26, the number of wireless (mobile) subscribers increased from 1,156.99 million at the end of March 2025 to 1,265.73 million at the end of March 2026, registering a yearly growth rate of 9.40%.
During 2025-26, the telecom sector recorded a net addition of 108.74 million wireless subscribers.
The growth in the subscriber base was accompanied by an increase in the Average Revenue Per User (ARPU) per month. ARPU increased from ₹174.46 in 2024-25 to ₹180.73 in 2025-26, registering a yearly growth of 3.59%.
During 2025-26, the ARPU per month for prepaid services stood at ₹190.66, while the ARPU for postpaid services was ₹119.76.
The telecom sector also recorded strong growth in revenues. Gross Revenue (GR) increased from ₹3,72,097 crore in 2024-25 to ₹4,04,067 crore in 2025-26, registering a yearly growth of 8.59%. Applicable Gross Revenue (ApGR) increased from ₹3,56,283 crore to ₹3,81,645 crore, a yearly growth of 7.12%.
Adjusted Gross Revenue (AGR) increased from ₹3,03,025 crore in 2024-25 to ₹3,34,659 crore in 2025-26, registering a yearly growth of 10.44%.
Spectrum Usage Charges (SUC) increased by 6.12%, from ₹3,807 crore in 2024-25 to ₹4,040 crore in 2025-26. Licence Fee also increased by 10.40%, from ₹24,242 crore to ₹26,763 crore during the same period.
Mobile usage remained high during the year. Average Total Minutes of Usage (MOUs) per subscriber per month stood at 950 during 2025-26. The monthly MOUs per subscriber for postpaid services were 305, while prepaid subscribers recorded 1,055 minutes.
The number of wireless data subscribers increased from 939.51 million at the end of March 2025 to 1,026.75 million at the end of March 2026, registering a yearly growth rate of 9.29%.