India second only to China having added 10.16 million mobile users in March: TRAI

In February, operators had added 8.53 million wireless subscribers in the world's fastest-growing wireless market but surpassed all stipulated expectations to amass record subscriptions in March, propelling India past the US in terms of subscribers. The data compiled by the International Association for the Wireless Telecommunications Industry confirms that India now has higher number of cell-phone users than the US.

TRAI said there were 261.1 million wireless users in India at the end of March 2008, a figure up by 58 percent from last year.

The United States is estimated to have 257.9 million wireless users, according to the International Association for the Wireless Telecommunications Industry website.

Top mobile operator Bharti Airtel led the charge, signing up 2.31 million new customers in March followed by Reliance Communications which added 1.62 million new connections. Unlisted Vodafone Essar, controlled by Britain's Vodafone Plc, added 1.57 million customers.

Total wireless subscribers rose by almost 96 million in the fiscal year at the end of March, but fixed-line users dropped by 1.33 million to 39.42 million.

Total fixed-line and wireless subscribers rose 46 percent from a year earlier to 300.5 million at the end of March, the regulator said.

The telecom industry in India has a market potential much beyond the 10 million monthly additions.

T.V. Ramachandran, director general of Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) which represents GSM players like Bharti, Vodafone, Idea and Aircel said, "We predicted the magic figure of 10 million monthly growths. This was anticipated."

"India will witness a growth rate of 11-12 million in mobile subscriber base over the coming months. The rural discount program started by the mobile telecom industry would be a trigger for that," he added.