India adds record 10.2 mln mobile users in March

NEW DELHI, April 25 (Reuters) - Indian telecoms firms added a record 10.16 million wireless subscribers in March, data showed on Friday, propelling India past the United States to become the second-largest market in the world, trailing only China.

In February, operators had added 8.53 million wireless subscribers in the world's fastest-growing wireless market.

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) said there were 261.1 million wireless users in India at end-March, up 58 percent from a year earlier.

The United States is estimated to have 257.9 million wireless users, according to the International Association for the Wireless Telecommunications Industry website. (www.ctia.org/).

Last month, the TRAI said China had 540.5 million subscribers as of February.

In India, top mobile operator Bharti Airtel (BRTI.BO) led the signings with 2.31 million new customers in March, and No. 2 Reliance Communications (RLCM.BO) added 1.62 million.

Unlisted Vodafone Essar, controlled by Britain's Vodafone Plc (VOD.L), added 1.57 million mobile customers in March.

Total wireless subscribers rose by almost 96 million in the fiscal year to end March, but fixed-line users dropped by 1.33 million to 39.42 million.

Total fixed-line and wireless subscribers rose 46 percent from a year earlier to 300.5 million at the end of March, the regulator said. (Reporting by Devidutta Tripathy; Editing by John Mair)