Indian Telecom Operators May Raise Tariffs by 15 Percent

Centrum Institutional Research forecasts that India's telecom industry may implement a 12-15% tariff hike within the next four to five months. The research firm attributes this potential increase to a more favorable pricing environment created by market consolidation among a few key players.

Major operators Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel, and Vodafone Idea Limited are expected to see average revenue per user increases of 0.8-2.0% in Q2FY27. This growth is driven by postpaid additions and the migration of users from 2G to 4G and 5G networks. Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel are projected to continue gaining market share, with expected quarterly subscriber additions of 8 million and 3 million respectively.

Vodafone Idea is projected to add 1 million subscribers while pursuing a Rs 250 billion debt fund raise to support a larger Rs 450 billion capital expenditure program. Additionally, the report predicts revenue growth for Indus Towers and Tata Communications, citing expanding network capacity and digital platform traction.