India’s telecom sector continued its steady growth momentum in March 2026, with total mobile subscribers rising to 1,265.73 million from 1,257.29 million in February, adding 8.44 million and registering a monthly growth rate of 0.67%.
Urban and rural growth aligned
According to TRAI’s telecom data for March 2026, mobile subscriptions in urban areas increased from 721.84 million to 726.51 million, while rural subscriptions rose from 535.46 million to 539.22 million during the same period. The monthly growth rates stood at 0.65% for urban and 0.70% for rural regions, indicating balanced expansion across geographies.
Tele-density sees uptick
Overall mobile tele-density in India improved from 88.17% to 88.71% in March. Urban tele-density edged up to 141.30%, while rural tele-density also increased to 59.08%. Urban users continued to dominate, accounting for 57.40% of total mobile subscribers, compared to 42.60% in rural areas.
Broadband subscriber base grows
The total number of broadband subscribers rose to 1,065.88 million at the end of March 2026 from 1,059.05 million in February, marking a monthly growth rate of 0.65%, based on data reported by 1,520 operators.
Wireline segment records modest rise
Wireline subscribers increased from 47.99 million to 48.25 million, reflecting a net addition of 0.25 million and a growth rate of 0.53% during the month.
Wireline tele-density improves
Overall wireline tele-density in India inched up to 3.38%. Urban and rural wireline tele-density stood at 8.37% and 0.57%, respectively. Urban areas accounted for a dominant 89.24% share of total wireline subscribers, while rural areas contributed 10.76%.
PSUs hold steady share
Public sector access service providers, including BSNL, MTNL, and APSFL, together held a 18.84% share of the wireline market as of March 2026.
Overall telephone base rises
The total number of telephone subscribers in India increased to 1,330.58 million from 1,321.31 million in February, registering a monthly growth rate of 0.70%.
Rural growth outpaces urban
Urban telephone subscriptions rose from 773.66 million to 778.79 million, while rural subscriptions increased from 547.65 million to 551.79 million. Growth remained slightly higher in rural areas at 0.76%, compared to 0.66% in urban regions, highlighting continued expansion in hinterland connectivity.