Source: Government of India
Source: Government of India (4)
The number of broadband subscribers rose to 944.12 million in India, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) data showed on Tuesday.
TRAI released its “Indian Telecom Services – Yearly Performance Indicators Report” for 2024–25, offering a detailed overview of India’s telecom and broadcasting sectors from April 1, 2024, to March 31, 2025.
India’s internet subscribers rose to 969.10 million from 954.40 million at the end of March 2025, the Ministry of Communications said in a statement. Broadband connections accounted for 944.12 million, registering a 2.17% growth, while narrowband users declined sharply by 17.66% to 24.98 million.
Mobile Average Revenue Per User (ARPU) saw a notable increase of 16.89%, rising from ₹149.25 to Rs 174.46. Prepaid ARPU rose, while postpaid ARPU marginally declined.
Total wireless data usage jumped 17.46% to 2,28,779 Petabytes (PB), and data revenue grew 15.49% to Rs 2.15 lakh crore. The number of wireless data users also rose to 939.51 million.
India’s total telephone subscriber base grew marginally by 0.13% to 1,200.80 million. However, overall teledensity slipped from 85.69% to 85.04%. While urban subscriptions increased slightly, urban teledensity declined by 1.70%. Rural subscriptions also rose, but rural teledensity saw a minor dip.
Wireless subscribers fell by 0.73%, with a net loss of 8.5 million users. Wireline connections, however, surged by 9.62% to 37.04 million, boosting wireline teledensity from 2.41% to 2.62%.
The sector’s Gross Revenue (GR) grew by 10.72% to Rs 3.72 lakh crore, while Adjusted Gross Revenue (AGR) rose 12.02% to Rs 3.03 lakh crore. Spectrum Usage Charges and license fees also recorded significant increases.
In the broadcasting sector, India had 918 permitted private satellite TV channels as of March 2025, with 333 pay channels (232 SD and 101 HD). Pay DTH subscribers declined to 56.92 million, down from 61.97 million the previous year.
There were 388 operational private FM radio stations across 113 cities, operated by 33 broadcasters after a recent merger. Community Radio Stations also saw growth, increasing from 494 to 531.
The full report is available on TRAI’s website (www.trai.gov.in).