India’s internet subscriber base grew by 1.54% in the financial year 2024–25, rising from 954.40 million in March 2024 to 969.10 million in March 2025, according to data released by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) on Tuesday.
The growth was primarily driven by an increase in broadband subscribers, which rose from 924.07 million to 944.12 million, marking a 2.17% year-on-year gain.
In contrast, narrowband subscriptions declined by 17.66%, falling from 30.34 million to 24.98 million during the same period.
The report, titled Indian Telecom Services – Yearly Performance Indicators, also noted a 16.89% increase in mobile Average Revenue Per User (ARPU), which climbed from ₹149.25 to ₹174.46. While prepaid ARPU saw a notable rise, postpaid ARPU recorded a slight decline.
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).
