iWorld
Reliance Jio maintains lead, gains 4.7 million users in April: TRAI
New Delhi: Reliance Jio’s reign over the market continues, as the telecom major added 4.7 million mobile subscribers in April, according to the latest data released by Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI). Its subscriber base has now reached 427.6 million across the country.
The Mukesh Ambani-led company had earlier doubled the net mobile user additions in March compared to February.
However, its rival Vodafone Idea lost 1.8 million customers in April, after gaining 1.08 million subscribers in March. Its subscriber base has now dropped to 281.9 million in April.
Bharti Airtel also recorded a decline in the number of net subscriber additions. The company added 0.51 million wireless customers in April, compared to 4.05 million subscribers in March. Its user base rose marginally to 352.9 million.
x`Overall, the number of telephone subscribers in India increased from 1,201.20 million at the end of March to 1,203.47 million at the end of April, showing a monthly growth rate of 0.19 per cent over the previous month. “The monthly growth rates of urban and rural telephone subscription were 0.08 per cent and 0.32 per cent, respectively, during the month of April,” said the regulatory body.
The overall tele-density in India increased from 88.17 per cent at the end of March to 88.27 per cent at the end of April. The share of urban subscribers in the total number of telephone subscribers at the end of April was 55.20 per cent, while it was 44.80 per cent for the rural areas.
As per the reports received from 438 operators in the month of April, 2021, the number of broadband subscribers increased from 778.09 million at the end of March to 782.86 million at the end of April with a monthly growth rate of 0.61 per cent, said TRAI.
The top five service providers constituted 98.8 per cent market share of the total broadband subscribers at the end of April. These included- Reliance Jio Infocomm (430.47 million), Bharti Airtel (194.18 million), Vodafone Idea (122.54 million), BSNL (24.52 million) and Atria Convergence (1.87 million).
Gaming
S8UL to compete across 13 titles at Esports World Cup 2026 in Riyadh
The Mumbai-based outfit’s largest-ever global campaign comes with a $75m prize pool on the line
MUMBAI: India’s biggest esports organisation is going all in. S8UL, the Mumbai-headquartered esports and gaming content group, has announced it will enter qualification pathways across 13 titles at the Esports World Cup (EWC) 2026, the highest number of titles ever attempted by an Indian organisation at a global esports tournament.
The titles span the full breadth of competitive gaming: Apex Legends, Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI), Call of Duty: Warzone, Chess, EA Sports FC, Fatal Fury, Fortnite, Honor of Kings, MOBA Legends 5v5, PUBG: Battlegrounds, Street Fighter 6, Tekken 8, and Trackmania. Together, they cover PC, console, and mobile ecosystems across genres including FPS, battle royale, fighting games, sports simulation, strategy, and racing.
The announcement follows S8UL’s selection as a club partner by the Esports Foundation for the second consecutive year, placing it among an elite cohort of 40 leading esports organisations worldwide.
The EWC 2026 will be held in Riyadh from July 6 to August 23, featuring a record prize pool of $75m (approximately Rs 700 crore). More than 2,000 players and 200 clubs from over 100 countries will compete across 24 titles. At the heart of the competition is the Club Championship, which carries a $30m (approximately Rs 280 crore) prize pool, rewarding consistent performance across multiple games.
Animesh Agarwal, co-founder and chief executive of S8UL, said the scale of this year’s campaign was the product of hard lessons learned. “Our experience in Riyadh last year gave us a clear understanding of what it takes to compete consistently at the global level. Since then, we have been deliberate in refining our approach, strengthening our foundation, investing in the right talent, and expanding into titles with long-term potential. The focus now is on execution: delivering consistent performances and establishing S8UL as a credible contender across every title we enter.”
At EWC 2025, S8UL competed across nine titles, reaching the Grand Finals in Apex Legends and securing top-eight finishes in Chess and EA Sports FC. This year’s campaign adds five new titles: Fortnite, Honor of Kings, PUBG: Battlegrounds, Street Fighter 6, and Trackmania.
The organisation has arrived at EWC 2026 in sharp form. Its BGMI roster won the BGMI India Series 2026, India’s premier mobile esports tournament. Its MOBA Legends 5v5 team claimed the Rai Star x Gyan Gaming Cup. Grandmaster Nihal Sarin won the Menorca Open. The VALORANT roster took the VCSA Split 1. The Honor of Kings team won the Kings Arise India City Tour in Mumbai. And on the global stage, the Apex Legends roster delivered a historic top-five finish at the ALGS 2026 Championship, the best-ever result by an Indian organisation in that title.
For Indian esports, the direction of travel is unmistakable. S8UL is no longer just showing up at the world’s biggest gaming tournament. It is arriving with intent.
