In July, big telecom companies like Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel, and Vodafone Idea lost customers because they increased their mobile service prices. However, government-run BSNL gained new subscribers.

In a big boost to state-run Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL), the telco has reported a huge 2.93 million increase in subscribers in July 2024, while other telecom operators such as Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel and Vi reported a substantial decline in their subscriber base.

Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea increased their mobile service plan rates in the range of 10-27 per cent in the first week of July

The impact of mobile phone service tariff hike was evident in July with Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel, Vodafone Idea reporting loss of customer base, which resulted in an overall decline in telecom subscribers in the country.

Market leader Reliance Jio lost 758,000 subscribers in July, while Vodafone Idea lost 1.4 million. Bharti Airtel lost the most, with nearly 1.7 million customers exiting the network during July, data from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) showed.

Indian telecom giants Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel, and Vodafone Idea lost subscribers in July following tariff hikes, while BSNL gained customers. Read more.