THEBUSINESSBYTES BUREAU

BHUBANESWAR, AUGUST 24, 2026

Reliance Jio has emerged as Odisha’s largest mobile operator, accounting for 47.1 per cent of the State’s wireless subscriber base, less than a decade after entering the market, according to subscriber data from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI).

Jio entered Odisha in September 2016 with 5.8 lakh subscribers. By June 2026, its subscriber base had surged to 181.8 lakh (18.18 million), marking an addition of 176 lakh users and a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 42.5 per cent.

The rapid expansion has significantly reshaped Odisha’s telecom landscape, even as the overall wireless market has continued to grow.

As of June 2026, Odisha had 386 lakh wireless connections. Jio led the market with 181.8 lakh subscribers, followed by Airtel with 133.8 lakh, BSNL with 55 lakh and Vodafone Idea with 15.4 lakh.

Jio’s rise to the top was swift. The operator overtook Vodafone Idea in August 2018 and surpassed Airtel in December 2019 to become the State’s largest telecom player. It has retained that position since then.

The growth stands in sharp contrast to the performance of its rivals. Airtel’s subscriber base rose from 107 lakh in August 2016 to 133.8 lakh in June 2026, translating into a CAGR of 2.3 per cent. BSNL increased from 45.8 lakh to 55 lakh during the period, registering a 1.9 per cent CAGR.

Vodafone Idea, meanwhile, saw a substantial contraction. Its subscriber base fell from 59.6 lakh in August 2016 to 15.4 lakh by June 2026, a decline reflected in a negative CAGR of 12.8 per cent. The operator’s base had peaked at 69.3 lakh in July 2018.

The competitive shift has also been accompanied by significant consolidation in the State’s telecom industry. Odisha’s market, which had more than eight operators in 2016, has effectively evolved into a four-player market.

Smaller operators such as Tata, Reliance Communications, Aircel, Telenor and Videocon collectively accounted for 89.9 lakh subscribers in August 2016. Their presence had effectively disappeared from the market by around July 2019.

The Vodafone-Idea merger was another major turning point, bringing the two operators under a single entity. The combined business subsequently lost a substantial portion of its subscriber base, falling from its July 2018 peak to 15.4 lakh by June 2026.

Jio’s expansion has also taken place alongside growth in the overall market, rather than being driven solely by a transfer of existing subscribers between operators. Odisha’s wireless subscriber base increased from 310.4 lakh in September 2016 to 386 lakh in June 2026, a rise of 24.4 per cent.

The TRAI data thus points to a broader expansion of mobile connectivity in the State alongside a pronounced shift in market leadership.