India adds 9.5 mn GSM mobile users in July

NEW DELHI, INDIA: Indian GSM mobile operators added 9.48 million users in July, taking the total subscribers to 325.7 million, data from the Cellular Operators' Association of India (COAI) showed on Tuesday. 

The pace of monthly additions on the dominant mobile platform picked up from 8.9 million added in June, but was slower than March's 10.8 million. The data for July does not include Reliance Communications Ltd, India's second-largest mobile operator, which reports figures separately.

Bharti Airtel retained its number one position with a subscriber base of 105.18 million. It added 2.81 million subscribers in July, while Vodafone Essar added 2.23 million, taking its total to 78.68 million.

Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL), which has a total of 50.70 million users, added 1.62 new connections in July.

While Idea Cellular added 1.43 million to touch 48.52 million, Aircel stood at 23.10 million with an addition of 1.30 million. Loop Mobile added 44,897 new subscribers in July and now it has a total of 2.35 million. MTNL added 35,413 new customers, taking its total base to 4.33 million.