Bharti Airtel added 1.65 million new wireless subscribers in January 2025, outpacing Reliance Jio, which gained 0.68 million, according to the latest TRAI data. Vodafone Idea continued to see subscriber attrition with 1.33 million users lost, while BSNL dropped 0.15 million users, slipping below the 8% market share mark.
Jio and Airtel’s mobile market shares stood at 40.46% and 33.61%, respectively, with Vi at 17.89%. The subscriber base saw a 0.55% monthly increase, influenced by TRAI’s revised reporting rules that now include 5G Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) as part of the wireless category. Notably, Jio commands 84.7% of India’s 5.72 million FWA users, while Airtel holds 15.2%.
Meanwhile, mobile number portability (MNP) requests also remained high with 14.14 million requests in January. On the other hand, India’s wireline subscriber base declined by 10.8%, falling from 39.27 million in December to 35.03 million in January.
AI-Powered Spam Filter Now Covers International Calls
Alongside its strong subscriber gains, Airtel has expanded the reach of its AI-based spam detection tool, first launched in September 2024. The upgraded system now flags international spam calls and messages, addressing a sharp 12% increase in global spam activity in the last six months.
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This feature works in real time, notifying users of suspicious calls or texts using AI-driven behavioural analysis. It requires no setup or installation and is automatically enabled for all Airtel users.
Regional Language Support and Future Roadmap
To further improve accessibility, Airtel’s spam alerts are now available in 10 Indian languages, including Hindi, Bengali, Tamil, and Telugu, in addition to English. The regional language feature is currently limited to Android users, with iOS support expected in future updates.
The system has already flagged over 27.5 billion spam calls, showcasing the scale of unwanted communication in India. Airtel’s AI engine continues to evolve, aiming to protect user privacy, improve mobile security, and offer a more intuitive experience to its diverse customer base.
