TRAI Q1 2025 Report: India Surpasses 1.2 Billion Telecom Subscribers
The telecom sector in India experienced significant growth during the first quarter of 2025, as reported in the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) Indian Telecom Services Performance Indicator Report for January – March 2025. The report noted India’s total telecom subscriber base reached 1.2 billion, wireless data usage jumped significantly, and gross revenues rose to ₹ 98,250 crore, highlighting the sector’s resilience and growth in the state of a growing digital usage and the changing behavior of consumers.
Why in News?
The Indian Telecom Services Performance Indicator Report for Q1 2025 provides a detailed overview of subscriber trends, financial statistics, internet penetration, and broadcasting data, and is useful for understanding the overall state and trajectory of India’s rapidly evolving telecom industry.
Subscriber Base and Growth
- Total Subscribers: 1,200.80 million (↑0.91% from Dec 2024)
- Urban: 666.11 million
- Rural: 534.69 million
- National Tele-density: 85.04%
- Urban: 131.45%
- Rural: 59.06%
- Wireless Subscribers: 1,163.76 million (↑1.14%)
- Mobile: 1,156.99 million
- 5G Fixed WirelessAccess(FWA): 6.77 million
- Wireline Subscribers: Dropped 5.67% to 37.04 million
Financial Performance
- Gross Revenue (GR): ₹98,250 crore (↑1.93% QoQ; ↑11.74% YoY)
- Applicable GR (ApGR): ₹92,618 crore (↑0.30%)
- Adjusted GR (AGR): ₹79,226 crore (↑1.66%)
- License Fees: ₹6,340 crore
- Pass-through Charges: ₹12,982 crore
Broadcasting & Cable Services
- Satellite TV Channels Permitted: 918
- Pay-TV: 333 (101 HD, rest SD)
- Active Pay DTH Subscribers: 56.92 million (↓from 58.22 million)
- FM Radio Channels: 388 in 113 cities
- Ad revenue: ₹466.63 crore (↓from ₹500.11 crore)
- Community Radio Stations: 531