New Delhi, October 24 (Read) – Global telecom body GSMA has said that India’s leading private telecom operators — Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel, and Vodafone Idea (Vi) — need to increase their average revenue per user (ARPU) to align with the scale of investments being made in network expansion and infrastructure.
Vivek Badrinath, Director General of GSMA, stated that while the ARPU of Indian telecom companies remains low by global standardsit has been rising steadily over the past five to six years due to periodic tariff hikes and higher data consumption among consumers.
Airtel and Jio have been consistently reporting higher revenues and profits with every passing quarter. Despite facing financial challenges, Vodafone Idea has also recorded an increase in its ARPU. GSMA represents over 700 telecom operators worldwideincluding major Indian private telcos.
However, Badrinath cautioned that the Indian market is highly price-sensitivewith fierce competition keeping tariffs relatively low. According to an Economic Times report, BSNL and MTNLthe state-run operators, currently have among the lowest ARPUs in the world.
As per the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) report for the quarter ending June 2025, the industry’s average ARPU stood at Rs 187 for prepaid users and Rs 182.72 for postpaid users.
The majority of Indian telecom subscribers use prepaid servicesas postpaid plans remain relatively expensive and are limited to a small section of the population. Over the years, even prepaid tariffs have seen a noticeable rise. Despite widespread speculation about an upcoming tariff hike, Reliance Jio recently stated that it has no immediate plans to increase prices.
Bhupendra Singh Chundawat is a seasoned technology journalist with over 22 years of experience in the media industry. He specializes in covering the global technology landscape, with a deep focus on manufacturing trends and the geopolitical impact on tech companies. Currently serving as the Editor at Readhis insights are shaped by decades of hands-on reporting and editorial leadership in the fast-evolving world of technology.
