Airtel just outpaced Jio in net wireless subscriber additions —
first time in a long while.May 2026 Net Adds:
Airtel: +2.93 million
Jio: +2.15 million
Vodafone Idea: +0.12 million
BSNL: -0.10 million
What’s driving this shift?
Airtel’s aggressive 5G rollout + better perceived network quality
Jio’s tariff hikes making customers reconsider
People willing to pay a little extra for reliability
This is healthy for the market.
A strong Airtel stops Jio from becoming a near-monopoly and keeps prices in check long-term.