Reliance Jio leads AGR, Airtel sees sharpest growth

Telecom AGR: Reliance Jio has posted the highest adjusted gross revenue (AGR) among telecom operators, recording Rs 25,330.97 crore, according to a report released by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) on Thursday. Bharti Airtel, however, experienced the sharpest increase in AGR during the March 2024 quarter.

Reliance Jio's AGR saw a 10.21 per cent rise, growing from Rs 22,985 crore in the same quarter last year. Bharti Airtel reported a 13.25 per cent increase in AGR, reaching Rs 20,951.91 crore from Rs 15,500.36 crore a year ago.

Vodafone Idea, despite ongoing losses, reported a marginal 2.22 per cent year-on-year increase in AGR, posting Rs 7,370.75 crore compared to Rs 7,210.63 crore the previous year. In contrast, state-owned telecom companies BSNL and MTNL experienced declines in AGR. BSNL's AGR dropped by 4.41 per cent to Rs 1,991.61 crore, while MTNL saw a 13.78 per cent decrease, bringing its AGR down to Rs 156.61 crore.

Overall, the gross revenue for telecom service providers grew by 3.01 per cent year-over-year, reaching Rs 87,926 crore. The sector's AGR saw a 9.25 per cent increase during the same period.

The government’s revenue from telecom operators, derived from license fees (LF) and spectrum usage charges (SUC), rose by over 10% to Rs 6,506 crore on a year-over-year basis, according to TRAI. The Performance Indicator Report for the March 2024 quarter detailed that the gross revenue (GR) stood at Rs 87,926 crore, while the applicable gross revenue (ApGR) and adjusted gross revenue (AGR) were Rs 83,945 crore and Rs 70,462 crore, respectively.

Year-over-year growth rates for GR, ApGR, and AGR were 3.01 per cent, 6.76 per cent, and 9.25 per cent, respectively. License fee collections increased by 9.28 per cent, reaching Rs 5,637 crore, up from Rs 5,159 crore in the March 2023 quarter. Spectrum usage charges saw a 15.11 per cent rise, climbing to Rs 869 crore from Rs 755 crore year-over-year.

(with PTI inputs)