Reliance Jio is the most subscribed mobile operator in Delhi

Reliance Jio has hit the top spot in terms of telecom operators in the Delhi circle, according to the newly released telecom subscription report by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI). As per the data, Reliance Jio now has close to 1.78 crore subscribers in the circle, surpassing second placed Vodafone-Idea and third placed Bharti Airtel — the three primary telecom operators in India. This brings the market share of the operator in Delhi up to 33.36 percent as of January 2020.

Reliance Jio’s subscriber count in the Delhi circle stood at 1,77,56,333 (1.77 crore), adding a gross 2,71,328 (2.71 lakh) subscribers for the month of January at a steady monthly growth rate of 1.55 percent. In comparison, Vodafone-Idea’s subscriber count was 1,76,46,831, reflecting a loss of total 54,574 users just in the Delhi circle and a decline of 0.31 percent in the subscriber base. Bharti Airtel, which is third with 1,56,24,496 users in Delhi, added 52,019 subscribers during the month, showing a growth rate of 0.33 percent.

Jio’s steady growth can be attributed to its fully 4G network, as well as the JioPhone’s market performance, which has been well accepted among the youth. Reliance Jio has also been introducing multiple offers through the Covid-19 lockdown period in India, offering benefits such as annual plans with no daily data cap and average monthly cost of just Rs 200 per month, double data benefits for high data volume users, and more such plans.

Reliance Jio has also proven to be an attractive proposition for foreign investors, attracting a stream of high profile investors to strengthen foreign direct investments in India. In recent times, it sold a 9.99 percent stake to the world’s largest social media platform, Facebook, for Rs 45,536 crore. Other investors included private equity firm Silver Lake’s investment of Rs 5,655.75 crore for a 1.15 percent stake, and Texan technology equity firm Vista Equity’s investment of Rs 11,367 crore for a 2.3 percent stake.

Jio has also introduced JioMart, a grocery delivery platform that it aims to operate in partnership with WhatsApp. The move can potentially alter the industry by bringing thousands of offline and small-scale kirana stores and businesses to the world of e-commerce, therefore reiterating the company’s commitment towards India’s Digital India goals.

―News18