Telecom needs 4-5 players : MoS Communications says govt committed to reviving BSNL, supporting Vi

India’s current telecom duopoly – dominated by Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel – is not a product of policy, but rather market realities driven by capital intensity, said Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani, Minister of State for Communications.

While speaking to CNBC TV18 on the sidelines of India Mobile Congress (IMC) 2025 roadshow in Bengaluru, Pemmasani said, “The duopoly has not been created intentionally by anybody. Telecom requires massive capex.” He added that Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel were able to deploy capital effectively, enabling them to expand deeply across the country. He also credited them for helping the country achieve the fastest 5G rollout in the world.