Broadband
Jio continues wireless broadband domination, adds 8.8 mn subs in Nov
BENGALURU: Mukesh Dhirubhai Ambani’s largest start-up in the world in the form of Reliance JioInfocomm Limited (Jio) continued to lead broadband internet subscriber growth for the month of November 2018 (month ended 30 November 2018, Nov-18, period or month under review). Jio registered a net growth of 0.88 crore (8.8 million, 88 lakh) subscribers or 3.35 percent during the month of Nov-18. Since 31 December 2017 (Dec-17) or 1 January 2018, Jio’s subscriber base grew 11.146 crore (111.46 million 1114.6 lakh) until 30 November 2018. At present, Jio’s subscriber base comprises of only mobile device users – phones and dongles.
The Vodafone and Idea merger has made the new entity Vodafone-Idea the second largest wireless or mobile broad services provider in the country after Jio.
Overall, 1.578 crore (15.78 million, 1578 lakh) net broadband subscribers were added in Nov-18 – India’s broadband subscriber base grew by 3.18 percent in Nov 18. Subscriber growth was only by mobile device users (phones and dongles) or mobile wireless users. Both wired broadband subscribers and fixed wireless, subscribers bases declined in November 2018
Mobile device users subscriber base grew the 1.71 crore (17.10 million, 171 lakh) or 3.39 percent during the month under review. India had a mobile device users subscriber base of 49.43 crore (494.30 million or 4,943.0 lakh) at the end of Nov-18 as compared to 47.72 crore (477.2 million, 4,772 lakh) at the end of Oct-18.
Please refer to the figure below
As per Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) data for Nov-18, the top five service providers constituted 98.56 percent market share of the total broadband subscribers at the end of Nov-18 as compared to 98.42 percent market share at the end of Oct-18. These service providers were Jio 27.155 crore (271.55 million, 2,627.5 lakh), Vodafone Idea 10.544 crore (105.44 million, 1,054.4 lakh), Bharti Airtel 10.474 crore (104.74 million, 1,047.4 lakh), BSNL 2.045 crore (20.45 million, 204.5 lakh) and Tata Tele Group 0.232 crore (2.32 million, 23.2 lakh). Tata Tele Group has lost broadband internet subscribers in Nov-18 as compared to Oct-18
As on 30 November 2018, the top five wireless broadband service providers were 27.155 crore (271.55 million, 2,627.5 lakh), Vodafone Idea 10.543 crore (105.43 million, 1,0543 lakh), Bharti Airtel 10.249 crore (102.49 million, 1024.9 lakh), BSNL 1.129 crore (11.29 million, 112.9 lakh) and Tata Teleservices 0.184 crore (1.84 million, 18.4 lakh).Tata Tele Group has lost broadband internet subscribers in Nov-18 as compared to Oct-18.
As on 30 November, 2018, the top five wired broadband service providers were BSNL 0.917 crore (9.17 million, 91.7 lakh), Bharti Airtel 0.226 crore (2.26 million, 22.6 lakh), Atria Convergence Technologies (ACT) 0.138 crore (1.38 million, 13.8 lakh), MTNL 0.078 crore (0.78 million, 7.8 lakh) and Hathway Cable & Datacom (Hathway) 0.077 crore (0.77 million, 7.7 lakh).The public sector MTNL continued to lose subscribers in Nov-18.
Notes: According to Trai, Broadband internet means services with speeds equal to or higher than 512 kpbs.
Trai provides data in millions and to the second decimal place, hence the granularity of the data in this report is 10,000.
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.
