Airtel Crosses 650 Million Users, Emerges as World’s Second-Largest Telecom Operator

• Airtel surpasses 650 million users, becoming the world’s second-largest telecom operator.

• Strong India base: 368M mobile, 13M broadband, 15M DTH users.

• Africa arm serves 179M customers, including 52M mobile money users.

• Data subscribers growing faster (9.7% CAGR) than overall base.

• February 2026: Added 4.86M users, boosting market share to 37.59%.

  
  

Bharti Airtel has reached a significant global milestone, surpassing 650 million customers across its operations in India and Africa. The achievement positions the telecom major as the second-largest operator worldwide by subscriber base, according to GSMA Intelligence data.

The company, led by Sunil Mittal, continues to maintain a strong footprint in India, where it serves more than 368 million mobile subscribers. Its domestic portfolio also includes 13 million fixed broadband households and 15 million Digital TV users. Beyond India, Airtel’s presence extends to 14 African nations through its subsidiary, Airtel Africa, which caters to 179 million customers. The African business provides data services, voice connectivity, and mobile money solutions, with the latter alone accounting for more than 52 million users.

Within the Indian market, Airtel holds the second position behind Reliance Jio, which reported crossing the 500 million subscriber mark last year. However, Jio’s operations remain confined to India. On the global stage, telecom subscriber rankings are largely dominated by Chinese carriers, with China Mobile leading the pack with a network exceeding one billion mobile subscribers. Airtel’s latest milestone cements its standing just behind the Chinese giant in terms of customer scale.

Commenting on the development, Gopal Vittal, Executive Vice Chairman of Bharti Airtel, described the 650 million mark as both an achievement and a responsibility. He emphasized the company’s commitment to continuously improving service standards and enhancing customer experience. Airtel was also the first telecom operator to roll out 5G services in India, underscoring its focus on technological leadership.

Industry analysts point to steady subscriber growth underpinning Airtel’s expansion. A recent Kotak Equities report noted that the company’s overall subscriber base has grown at a compound annual rate of 2.9% between FY21 and FY26. More notably, its data subscriber segment has expanded at a significantly faster 9.7% compound rate, reflecting a shift toward higher-value customers.

The brokerage also highlighted untapped opportunities in India’s rural and mobile broadband segments, noting that nearly one-fifth of Airtel’s users are still on legacy 2G and 3G networks—indicating considerable scope for upgrades and revenue growth.

Recent regulatory data reinforces Airtel’s upward momentum. According to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), the company’s market share rose to 37.59% in February 2026, up from 37.4% a month earlier. The increase was fueled by a robust net addition of 4.86 million mobile subscribers during February, substantially higher than Reliance Jio’s 1.62 million additions in the same period.

With consistent subscriber gains, rapid data adoption, and a strong presence across two continents, Airtel appears poised to further strengthen its global standing while deepening its leadership in key growth markets.