Ten Years of Jio: How Reliance Jio Became Gujarat’s Largest Mobile Operator

Ahmedabad: Over the decade since its commercial launch, Reliance Jio has transformed the wireless market in Gujarat. Starting from no reported subscribers in August 2016, Jio recorded 14.6 lakh users in its first month of operation (Sep 2016) and reached 335.5 lakh by June 2026, an absolute gain of 320.9 lakh subscribers and a compound annual growth rate of 37.9%. As of June 2026, Jio is the market leader in the circle, holding roughly 46.2% of the circle’s 727.0 lakh wireless connections, a press release said.

Jio’s decade of growth

A press release said Jio’s subscriber base expanded from 14.6 lakh (Sep 2016) to a peak of 335.5 lakh in Jun 2026, its latest reading. In share terms the base multiplied roughly 22.9× over the period. Jio first became the circle’s largest operator in Dec 2020 and has held the top position since. On the monthly data, Jio overtook Vodafone Idea in Dec 2020 and overtook Airtel in Jul 2017.

Figure: Monthly wireless subscribers by operator, Gujarat (lakhs). Source: TRAI.

Competitive comparison

Airtel moved from 86.8 lakh in August 2016 to 158.4 lakh in June 2026 (+71.6 lakh, 6.3% CAGR). Vodafone Idea, the combined Vodafone and Idea base, went from 316.8 lakh to 200.1 lakh (-116.7 lakh, -4.6% CAGR), having peaked at 354.8 lakh in Apr 2018. BSNL moved from 39.8 lakh to 33.0 lakh (-1.9% CAGR). The “Others” category, Tata, Reliance Communications, Aircel, Telenor, Videocon and other operators that have since exited, collapsed from 175.0 lakh in August 2016 to zero by around Jul 2019, as the market consolidated to four players.

CAGR analysis

Jio’s 37.9% CAGR (computed from its first data month, September 2016, given no August-2016 base) far outpaced every incumbent. Over the same period Airtel grew at 6.3%, while Vodafone Idea contracted at -4.6% and BSNL at -1.9%. The nearest incumbent on growth was Airtel at 6.3%. No competitor in Gujarat came close to Jio’s expansion rate, underscoring that Jio’s rise was driven by net new additions rather than a shrinking overall market, which itself grew 14.7% over the decade.

How the market changed

Three structural shifts define the decade in Gujarat. First, consolidation: a field of eight-plus operators in 2016 narrowed to four as the “Others” base fell from 175.0 lakh to zero. Second, the Vodafone-Idea merger created a single large incumbent that has since ceded ground, sliding from a 354.8 lakh peak (Apr 2018) to 200.1 lakh. Third, Jio’s entry expanded the total wireless base from 633.7 lakh (September 2016) to 727.0 lakh in June 2026, a rise of 14.7%, indicating Jio added connectivity rather than simply redistributing it.

June 2026 snapshot

As of June 2026 the ranking in Gujarat is: 1. Reliance Jio (335.5 lakh); 2. Vodafone Idea (200.1 lakh); 3. Airtel (158.4 lakh); 4. BSNL (33.0 lakh). Jio leads the circle with a 46.2% share.

Key data points

All figures in lakhs. * Jio had no reported subscribers in August 2016 (launched September 2016); its first data point (Sep 2016) and a Sep-2016-based CAGR are shown. “Others” aggregates operators that have exited the circle. Source: TRAI Wireless Subscriber Base.