Vodafone top gainer in India number portability: COAI

Vodafone's India unit has so far gained the most following India's move allowing mobile users to retain their numbers even when they switch carriers, data from an industry body showed on Friday.

But, mobile number portability (MNP), which was launched in a northern state in late November and nationwide from January 20, was not a "game changer" for the industry, the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) said in a statement.

The COAI said less than 5 million subscribers, or less than 1% of the country's total customers, had opted to switch carriers.

Of these, a net 192,761 customers switched to India's third-largest mobile carrier Vodafone Essar, while sixth-ranked Idea Cellular was next, with net gains of 150,789 customers.

Top mobile operator Bharti Airtel gained a net 148,215 customers in MNP, but No 2 Reliance Communications was a net loser of 306,417 customers, data showed.

With 771 million mobile subscribers as of January, India is the world's second-biggest market for mobile services and with monthly additions averaging 19 million in the past one year, it is the world's fastest growing market.