TRAI data shows continued M2M expansion across Airtel, Jio and Vodafone Idea as connected devices and enterprise IoT applications gain momentum.
M2M subscriber growth continued across India’s three major private telecom operators in July 2026, according to the latest Telecom Subscription Data released by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI). Bharti Airtel, Reliance Jio and Vodafone Idea (Vi) all reported an increase in their Machine-to-Machine (M2M) connection bases during the month.
The continued M2M subscriber growth highlights how telecom operators are increasingly generating connectivity demand beyond conventional consumer SIM cards. Connected vehicles, industrial equipment, smart meters, enterprise devices and other Internet of Things (IoT) applications are contributing to this expanding segment.
Airtel Leads M2M Subscriber Growth
Bharti Airtel recorded the strongest absolute M2M subscriber growth among the three operators between January and July 2026. Airtel’s M2M connection base increased from 70.18 million in January to 84.45 million in July, representing an addition of 14.27 million connections.
That translates into approximately 20.3% growth over the six-month period. Airtel also added 1.68 million M2M connections during July alone, extending its uninterrupted monthly growth trend.
The scale of Airtel’s M2M subscriber growth gives the operator a significant position in India’s enterprise connectivity ecosystem. Its overall wireless connection base also increased during the same period, although M2M connections represent a distinct category from conventional consumer mobile subscribers.
Jio Records Strongest Percentage Growth
Reliance Jio also continued to report positive M2M subscriber growth throughout the January-July period. Its M2M base increased from 20.60 million connections in January to 26.56 million in July, adding 5.96 million connections.
Jio’s M2M base therefore expanded by approximately 28.9% during the period, giving it the highest percentage growth among Airtel, Jio and Vi. In July alone, Jio added around 0.80 million M2M connections.
The strong M2M subscriber growth comes alongside the continued expansion of Jio’s consumer and overall wireless subscriber base. This gives Jio two separate growth avenues as it develops both its consumer connectivity and enterprise digital businesses.
Vodafone Idea Maintains Positive M2M Momentum
Vodafone Idea also recorded continued M2M subscriber growth despite facing pressure in its consumer mobile business. Vi’s M2M connections increased from 18.81 million in January to 21.92 million in July.
The operator added approximately 3.11 million M2M connections during the period, representing growth of around 16.5%. Vi added another 0.30 million M2M connections in July, taking its M2M base above 21.9 million.
This continued M2M subscriber growth is particularly notable because Vi’s consumer subscriber base remains under pressure. Enterprise and connected-device connectivity therefore provides the operator with an additional source of growth alongside its traditional mobile business.
Airtel, Jio and Vi Show Different Growth Patterns
The M2M subscriber growth figures show a clear difference in the strategies and scale of the three operators. Airtel generated the largest absolute addition, while Jio recorded the fastest percentage expansion and Vi maintained steady growth from a smaller base.
Between January and July, Airtel added 14.27 million M2M connections, compared with 5.96 million for Jio and 3.11 million for Vi. The numbers demonstrate that M2M connectivity is becoming an increasingly important component of India’s telecom subscriber ecosystem.
The M2M subscriber growth also needs to be viewed separately from traditional mobile subscriber additions because a single enterprise deployment can involve thousands or even millions of connected devices.
Why M2M Connections Are Growing in India
M2M subscriber growth is closely connected to the wider adoption of IoT technologies across Indian businesses and public infrastructure. Companies can use cellular connectivity to remotely monitor equipment, vehicles, utility infrastructure and other assets without requiring conventional human-operated mobile services.
Smart metering is one example where large numbers of connected devices can generate recurring cellular connectivity requirements. Similar applications can be found in logistics, fleet management, security systems, industrial automation and remote monitoring.
As more businesses digitise their operations, M2M subscriber growth could become increasingly important for telecom operators seeking new enterprise revenue opportunities.
M2M Growth Gives Telecom Operators Another Revenue Stream
The importance of M2M subscriber growth extends beyond simply increasing connection numbers. Enterprise connectivity can create recurring revenue streams while allowing operators to build relationships with businesses deploying connected-device ecosystems.
For telecom companies, this provides an opportunity to diversify their customer base beyond individual mobile users. M2M services can also support additional enterprise offerings involving cloud connectivity, analytics, device management and other digital services.
The continued M2M subscriber growth recorded by Airtel, Jio and Vi suggests that connected-device demand is becoming a structural component of India’s telecom market rather than a short-term trend.
Airtel Maintains a Significant M2M Lead
Airtel’s M2M subscriber growth has allowed the company to establish a substantial lead over its private-sector competitors in terms of connection volume. Its M2M base reached 84.45 million in July, significantly higher than Jio’s 26.56 million and Vi’s 21.92 million.
The difference indicates that Airtel currently has a particularly strong position in enterprise and machine connectivity. However, Jio’s faster percentage growth suggests that the competitive gap could gradually narrow if its current expansion rate continues.
Vi’s consistent M2M subscriber growth is also important because the company can potentially use enterprise connectivity as another avenue to strengthen its overall business performance.
What the M2M Subscriber Growth Means for 5G
The next phase of M2M subscriber growth could increasingly involve 5G connectivity, particularly for applications requiring higher reliability, lower latency or greater network capacity. While many current M2M deployments can operate effectively on existing cellular technologies, advanced industrial applications could create new demand for 5G.
Connected factories, intelligent transportation systems, real-time asset monitoring and advanced enterprise automation are potential areas where next-generation networks could support more sophisticated IoT deployments.
For Indian telecom operators, the combination of 5G network expansion and enterprise digitalisation could therefore provide another opportunity to monetise their infrastructure beyond consumer mobile broadband.
M2M Subscriber Growth Remains an Important Telecom Trend
The July 2026 figures show that M2M subscriber growth remains positive across Airtel, Jio and Vodafone Idea. Airtel added the most connections in absolute terms, Jio recorded the highest percentage expansion, and Vi continued to grow despite weakness in its consumer subscriber base.
The broader trend points towards increasing adoption of connected devices across India’s industrial, enterprise and utility sectors. As businesses increasingly rely on remotely connected equipment and digital monitoring systems, telecom operators are likely to place greater emphasis on M2M and IoT services.
The M2M subscriber growth story therefore represents more than an increase in connection numbers. It reflects the gradual transformation of India’s telecom networks into platforms supporting both human communication and machine-driven digital services.
