India GSM operators add 8.44 million new users in January

India's GSM operators added 8.44 million new subscribers in January, increasing the total subscriber base to 648.08 million, mainly led by Uninor, which added 2.49 million new users.

The operators added 7.55 million new subscribers in December, while the additions continued unabated in January.

Uninor, a joint venture between real estate firm Unitech and Norway's Telenor, expanded its user-base to 38.79 million, according to the data released today by the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI).

COAI is the GSM operators' body. CDMA is another technology platform on which operators offer their services.

Idea Cellular added the most 1.75 million new subscribers in January, taking its subscriber base to 108 million. The Aditya Birla group garnered a 16.68 per cent market share.

The country's largest GSM player Bharti Airtel added 1.30 million subscribers, taking its user-base to 176.95 million. The New Delhi-based company had a 27.3 per cent market share.

Vodafone Essar, with a 22.93 per cent market share, added 0.85 million new subscribers during the month, taking its subscriber base to 148.60 million in January.

State-owned operators Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) and Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd (MTNL) added 0.86 million and 50,180 new users, helping them increase their total number of users to 93.42 million and 5.49 million, respectively.

Aircel added 0.81 million customers, taking its subscriber base to 62.46 million, while Idea Cellular added 1.74 million new users to take its subscriber base to 108.12 million at the end of last month.

Circle-wise, the highest addition was in UP (East) where 0.97 million new users were added in January. The circle, among the total 22 circles, also has the highest number of GSM users at 54.85 million.