Monthly mobile adds sustainable: Airtel

Bharti Airtel, India's top mobile operator, expects to sustain the pace at which it is adding subscribers despite rising competition from rivals, its chief executive said on Thursday.

Bharti Airtel has been adding about 2.7 million new mobile users a month, but is facing tough competition from smaller players including Vodafone Essar and Idea Cellular, which in recent months have accelerated their monthly sign ups to over 2 million each.

"It's definitely sustainable," Bharti Airtel CEO Manoj Kohli told reporters, adding their focus on rural areas would drive growth.