India has now topped 1 billion mobile phone users, according to Bloomberg, which noted that India is only the second country to do so — with China being the first country to hit that mark. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India said that in October 2015, the number of subscribers reached 1.03 billion.
With 12 large operators, India still has among the lowest costs phone bills in the world, and India’s subscriber base has surged over the years to a size that’s more than triple the U.S. population, underscoring the country’s growing economic influence. The top Indian carrier Bharti Airtel Ltd. has more than 200 million subscribers.
Last updated: December 26th, 2025
