Bharti Airtel's number of customers FY 2013-2024

As of 2023, India was the second-largest telecommunications market across the globe, with a subscriber base of close to 1.2 billion users. The number of subscribers of the telecommunications company Bharti Airtel was approximately 620 million in financial year 2024. Out of this, 406 million subscribers were from India. The company operates across Asia and Africa in 17 countries. In terms of subscribers, the company ranks amongst the leading three mobile service providers. 

The Indian telecommunications industry

Spending in the communication services segment across the south Asian country increased in 2021 despite the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. And the telecommunication spending was estimated to reach 25.2 million U.S. dollars in 2023. With a growing subscriber base, investments into the sector have increased. The country saw a foreign direct investment equity inflow of about 0.3 billion dollars in 2024. India became the third largest market for mobile-based applications in the world in 2023. 

Government initiatives and outlook

As per the national e-governance plan, the department of Information Technology intends to set up more than a million internet-accessible common service centers, to aid the rapid increasing number of internet users within the country. The IP traffic increased four-fold in 2021, playing a vital role in revenue generation and possible mergers and acquisitions in the sector.