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. (http://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: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) led the signings with 2.31 million new customers in March, and No. 2 Reliance Communications (RLCM.BO: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) added 1.62 million.

Unlisted Vodafone Essar, controlled by Britain's Vodafone Plc (VOD.L: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz), 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)