Bharti Airtel became India''s only operator to clock 100 million subscriber mark for its telecom services thereby consolidating the operator's position as a formidable player in the telecom landscape not only in India but across the globe.

“The Indian Telecom sector, seen as providing the most affordable services in the world, has grown by leaps and bounds in the last decade. We are proud to have led the telecom revolution that made a positive impact on the lives of people in every corner of the country as well as the Indian economy. This remarkable journey to 100 million customers is a testament to the vision and commitment of a company that benchmarks itself with the best in the world," said Sunil Bharti Mittal, Chairman & Group CEO, Bharti Enterprises.

“We dedicate this achievement to the nation. This milestone reiterates the emergence of India as one of the world’s top telecom markets and we are delighted to be at the forefront of its growth. On this occasion, we would like to thank all our customers, partners and the Government of India for their constant support.”

Bharti Airtel's growth in registering new subscribers is a testimony to India's telecom sector being on a boom for the last few years. The company had 25 million subscribers in July 2006 while the 50 million mark was achieved in October 2007.

The company said that with the new achievement it has become the 3rd largest single country mobile services operator in the world and 6th largest single country integrated telco in the world. 60 % of the company's subscribers are from the rural areas.

As part of its expansion plans the company will now roll out 100,000 cell sites by the end of the year and will transform its entire fixed line network to IP/broadband network in a phase wise manner.  The company also plans to establish a enhanced customer service management centre including 100,000 Airtel Service Centres to be set up in rural areas by 2010.

The company is now aiming to clock 200 million subscribers within the next two and half years.