India achieved a significant telecommunications milestone in November 2025 as the country's broadband subscriber base crossed the 100 crore mark for the first time, according to data released by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) on Wednesday. This achievement underscores the rapid digital transformation taking place across the nation.

Market Leadership and Distribution

The broadband market continues to be dominated by Reliance Jio, which maintains its leadership position with substantial subscriber numbers across both wireless and fixed-line segments.

Decade of Remarkable Growth

The broadband sector has witnessed unprecedented expansion over the past ten years. TRAI highlighted that the subscriber base has increased more than six times during this period, growing from 13.15 crore subscribers in November 2015 to 100.37 crore subscribers in November 2025.

Overall Telecom Subscriber Trends

The total telecom subscriber base in India reached 123.45 crore in November 2025, comprising 118.74 crore wireless connections and 4.70 crore wireline connections. Monthly growth patterns show distinct performance variations among operators.

Wireless Segment Performance

In the wireless segment, Reliance Jio led monthly additions with a net gain of 13.88 lakh customers, bringing its total mobile subscriber base to 48.60 crore. Bharti Airtel followed with 12.15 lakh net additions, while BSNL added 4.21 lakh subscribers.

Conversely, Vodafone Idea continued facing subscriber losses, shedding 10.11 lakh mobile customers during November, which brought its subscriber base below the 20 crore mark to 19.97 crore. MTNL also recorded losses of 7,350 wireless customers, reducing its total count to 2.35 lakh subscribers.

Wireline Segment Developments

The wireline subscriber base showed positive momentum, increasing from 46.75 million in October 2025 to 47.05 million in November 2025. Growth was led by multiple operators contributing to this expansion.

However, some operators experienced subscriber losses in the wireline segment. Andhra Pradesh State FiberNet recorded the highest losses with 32,739 subscribers, followed by MTNL with 20,704 losses, BSNL with 8,095 losses, Quadrant with 2,175 losses, and Reliance Communications with 1,516 subscriber losses.

The crossing of the 100 crore broadband subscriber milestone represents a significant achievement for India's digital infrastructure development and reflects the country's growing digital adoption across urban and rural areas.

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has proposed a comprehensive regulatory framework to streamline the sale of foreign telecom service providers' SIM cards for Machine-To-Machine (M2M) and Internet of Things (IoT) devices intended for export. The regulator recommends implementing a light-touch service authorisation under the Telecommunications Act, 2023, designed to boost India's competitiveness in the global IoT market while supporting the Make in India initiative.

Proposed International M2M SIM Service Authorisation Framework

TRAI has outlined a business-friendly authorisation structure with minimal financial barriers to encourage participation in the IoT export market. The proposed framework includes several key features designed to make the process accessible and efficient for Indian companies.

The regulator has specified that any company registered under the Indian Companies Act should be eligible to obtain the international M2M SIM service authorisation. This broad eligibility criterion aims to encourage widespread participation from Indian manufacturers and exporters in the IoT segment.

Testing and Implementation Provisions

To facilitate product development and quality assurance, TRAI has recommended allowing foreign telecom service providers' SIM and eSIM cards to be activated in India for testing purposes. The testing period would be limited to a maximum of six months, providing sufficient time for manufacturers to validate their products before export.

The regulatory framework also addresses the need for coordination between various government departments. TRAI has suggested that the Telecom Department should work closely with the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Commerce, and other relevant ministries to establish a clear regulatory framework. This coordination would enable the import of foreign SIM/eSIM cards for use in M2M/IoT devices meant for exports and facilitate the export of Indian SIM/eSIM cards for imported IoT devices.

Market Impact and Strategic Benefits

TRAI believes the proposed framework will unlock significant market potential for Indian exporters and importers operating in the M2M/IoT segment. The regulator emphasizes that this regulatory approach would make Indian products with M2M capability more attractive in global markets, helping Indian enterprises compete effectively with established international players in IoT and M2M markets.

The recommendations directly address a key challenge faced by Indian manufacturers who export products to global markets. These manufacturers currently seek foreign SIMs to be provided within India for integration into their products, enabling IoT and M2M services for use outside the country. The streamlined authorisation process would facilitate this requirement while maintaining appropriate regulatory oversight.

Technology Context and Future Outlook

Machine-to-Machine communication refers to technologies that enable both wireless and wired systems to communicate with other devices of similar capability. The Internet of Things represents a connected network of embedded devices capable of M2M communication without human intervention. These technologies are increasingly critical for various industries, from manufacturing and logistics to healthcare and smart city applications.

TRAI's recommendations reflect the growing importance of IoT and M2M technologies in global trade and manufacturing. By reducing regulatory barriers and streamlining processes, the proposed framework aims to position India as a competitive player in the global IoT manufacturing ecosystem while supporting domestic innovation and export growth.