New Delhi: Reliance Jio, India's largest telecom provider led by billionaire Mukesh Ambani, experienced a significant setback, losing 7.9 million subscribers in just one month. This decline follows a major increase in mobile tariffs by private telecom operators, prompting millions to switch to state-owned BSNL.
According to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), private telecom providers collectively lost nearly 10 million subscribers in September 2024. Jio's loss was the largest among competitors, with Bharti Airtel losing 1.4 million subscribers and Vodafone-Idea (Vi) losing 1.5 million customers.
BSNL has seen a resurgence, gaining over 5.5 million new users between July and October 2024. Data from the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) indicates a significant migration of subscribers from private providers to BSNL, with 1.5 million users switching in July, increasing to 2.1 million in August, and continuing with 1.1 million and 0.7 million in September and October, respectively.
Prior to the tariff hikes in June 2024, BSNL faced a loss of customers to private operators. However, this trend reversed post-hike, with BSNL losing only 310,000 users in July, 260,000 in August, 280,000 in September, and 510,000 in October 2024.
BSNL's competitive pricing poses a challenge to industry leaders like Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel. Union Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia commended BSNL's growth, stating, 'I see a huge opportunity in BSNL.' BSNL Chairman Robert Ravi confirmed that the provider has no plans to increase tariffs in the near future.