GSM operators add 4.97 million users in April

Continuing the subscriber acquisition spree, Indian GSM operators added 4.97 million users, taking their total user base to 726.90 million in April. This is a 0.69 per cent rise from the previous month, when the nine GSM operators added a total of 8.26 million users.

Bharti Airtel, the country's largest operator by revenue and subscribers, topped the charts by adding 1.19 million users during the month under review. The New Delhi-based company also had the maximum of 206.58 million GSM users, and a 28.42 per cent market share as of 31 March, according to data released by industry body Cellular Operators' Association of India (COAI).

Vodafone India added 731,272 users during the reporting month, taking its total user base to 167.29 million, while the company ranked second with a 23.01 per cent market share.

Idea Cellular came in third with an addition of 770,045 users. The Aditya Birla group company's total subscriber base rose to 136.56 million as of April-end, while the company had an 18.79 per cent market share.

Aircel added 998,413 users, taking the total to 71.15 million. The company, in which Malaysia's Maxis Communications holds a majority stake, garnered a total market share of 1.42 per cent.

Uninor added 968,871, increasing its total user base to 36.56 million. The company, a unit of Norway's Telenor, had a 2.72 per cent market share as of end of the month.

Videocon got 295,427 new users, taking its total subscriber base to 5,282,746. The company garnered a market share of 0.73 per cent. State-owned Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd won 12,794 subscribers, taking its total to 3,257,883. MTNL had a 0.45 per cent market share.

Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd, another state-owned operator, and Mumbai-based Loop Mobile's subscriber addition numbers were not available.

According to an earlier Telecom Regulatory Authority of India report, the country's total telecom subscriber base rose to 933 million as of March-end.