Broadband
Indian broadband subscribers growth down in July 2020
BENGALURU: Indian broadband internet subscribers growth for the month ended 31 July 2020 (Jul-20) was less than half (49.6 per cent) of the growth in Jun-20 as per the latest Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) data. The broadband subscriber base grew by just 71.7 lakh in Jul-20 as compared to 1.447 crore in the previous month.
Overall, in calendar year 2020, the country has seen addition of 4.347 crore broadband internet subcribers or 6.2 per cent growth until Jul-20. Apr-20, the first month of the Covid2019 lockdown, had seen broadband internet subscribers decline by 1.13 crore.
There were 70.54 crore broadband internet subscribers in India in Jul-20 as compared to 66.194 crore in Jan-20 and 69.823 crore in Jun-20.
The top five service providers constituted 98.91 percent market share of the total broadband subscribers at the end of July-20. These service providers were Reliance Jio with 40.196 crore, followed by Airtel with 15.574 crore, Vodafone Idea with 11.527 crore, the public sector BSNL with 2.303 crore, and Atria Convergence Technologies with 16.9 lakh broadband internet subscribers.
Mobile devices users (Phones and dongles)
The largest growth driver has been through mobile devices, which include phones and dongles, with addition of 4.254 crore broadband internet subscribers or a 6.2 per cent growth in CY 2020 until Jul-20. Mobile devices are the largest platform for broadband internet in India with a more than 97 per cent share of subscribers. There were 68.464 crore broadband internet subscribers through mobile devices in Jul-20 as compared to 64.219 crore in Jan-20 and 67.779 crore in Jun-20.
The top five wireless broadband service providers in Jul-20 were Jio with 40.08 crore, Airtel with 15.325 crore, Vodafone Idea with 11.526 crore, BSNL with 1.517 crore, and Tikona Infinet Ltd with 3 lakh subscribers.
Wired broadband internet subscribers
The second largest broadband internet services platform with a 28-29 per cent share of broadband internet is the wireline or wired platform. This segment has witnessed a growth of 4.9 per cent in Jul-20 as compared to the beginning of the year, with the addition of 9.9 lakh subscribers, for a total of 2.013 crore subscribers in Jul-20.
The top five wired broadband service providers in Jul-20 were BSNL with 78.6 lakh subscribers, Airtel with 24.9 lakh, Atria Convergence Technologies with 16.9 lakh, Jio with 11.6 lakh, and Hathway Cable & Datacom at 10.1 lakh subscribers.
Fixed wireless subscribers (Wi-Fi, Wi-Max, Point-to-Point Radio & VSAT)
Fixed Wireless platform (Wi-Fi, Wi-Max, point-to-point radio & VSAT) is the smallest of the three with about 0.09 per cent share of the total broadband internet subscribers in the country. This platform has seen growth 0f 4.7 per cent in CY 2020 until Jul-20 to 6.4 lakh subscribers, as compared to 6.1 lakh subscribers in Jan-20.
Broadband
Zoff Foods extends Shilpa Shetty partnership into ninth year
Spice brand reinforces trust-led positioning amid growth and funding push.
MUMBAI: Nine years, one flavour and the recipe clearly still works. Zoff Foods has extended its long-running association with Shilpa Shetty, marking nine consecutive years of her as brand ambassador as the company scales its presence across Indian households. What began as a digital-first collaboration has gradually evolved into a defining element of the brand’s identity. Over nearly a decade, the partnership has mirrored Zoff’s own journey from an emerging challenger to a fast-growing FMCG player with a widening footprint across e-commerce, quick commerce and offline retail channels.
The logic behind the continuity is straightforward. In a category where trust and familiarity drive purchase decisions, particularly in spices and ready-to-cook segments, long-term associations tend to carry more weight than short bursts of visibility. Shetty’s positioning as a fitness-conscious, health-aware public figure aligns with the brand’s emphasis on purity and quality factors that are increasingly shaping consumer choices in modern Indian kitchens.
The extension also comes at a time when Zoff Foods is entering a more aggressive growth phase. The company recently raised $2 million in a Pre-Series B funding round led by JM Financial Private Equity, with participation from Aman Gupta, signalling a push towards expanding distribution, product innovation and market reach.
Company executives have positioned the continued partnership as a strategic anchor amid this expansion, reinforcing brand recall while entering new markets. For Shetty, the association remains rooted in shared values around authenticity and ingredient integrity attributes that resonate strongly with increasingly mindful consumers.
In a market crowded with new-age brands and shifting loyalties, Zoff’s approach suggests a different playbook: build slowly, stay consistent, and let familiarity do the heavy lifting. Because sometimes, in both branding and cooking, it’s not about reinventing the dish, it’s about perfecting it over time.
