Airtel Dominates Telecom Growth with 48.5 Lakh New Subscribers in February 2026

Bharti Airtel leads telecom subscriber growth for the third consecutive month, adding 48.5 lakh new customers in February 2026. According to TRAI, India's total telecom user base rose by 73.1 lakh, reaching 132.13 crore. While Airtel outpaced Reliance Jio in wireline growth, BSNL and MTNL reported subscriber losses.

Bharti Airtel has emerged as a leader in subscriber growth, marking its dominance for the third consecutive month with an addition of over 48.5 lakh net new customers in February 2026, as per TRAI's latest data released on Wednesday.

The telecom giant not only overshadowed its rival Reliance Jio in terms of net subscriber addition in the wireline segment but also contributed significantly to the overall rise in the national telecom user base, which grew by 73.1 lakh to an unparalleled high of 132.13 crore.

Despite the positive trend for private telecom enterprises such as Airtel, Reliance Jio, and Vodafone Idea, state-run firms BSNL and MTNL continued to experience declines in their subscriber bases, emphasizing a persistent industry shift towards private operators.

(With inputs from agencies.)