The GSM-based mobile subscriber base has gone up by 15.08 lakh (1.5 million) in March to end the year 2003-04 at 2.61 crore customers with Bharti Group cornering almost one-fourth of the market with 65.04 lakh (6.5 million) users.

According to the latest subscriber base figures released by Cellular Operators Association of India, the growth achieved during the last fiscal (2003-04) stood at a whopping 106 per cent compared to 97 per cent in 2002-03.

"Subscriber additions during March 2004 was 15.07 lakh. This represents a slightly higher level as compared to previous four months," COAI said in a statement.

State-owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd retained the second slot with 52.3 lakh (5.2 million) cellular subscribers followed by Hutchison-Essar at 51.5 lakh (5.1 million) mobile users with a market share of 19.7 per cent.

Idea cellular notched the fourth position in GSM ranking with its subscriber base at 27.33 lakh (2.7 million) in 2003-04 with a market share of over 10 per cent.

State-owned Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd, which operates only in two metros of Delhi and Mumbai ended with a market share of 1.38 per cent and stood at 10th position among the 11 operators.