The number of cellular phone users in India surged 94 per cent in February from a year ago to 11.76 million, the Cellular Operators Association said on Wednesday.

But the number of new subscribers added in February fell 13.2 per cent from the previous month to 592,906, although the user base is set to meet industry expectations of touching 12 million by March 2003.

Users are expected to surge to 120 million by 2008, making the sector one of the hottest markets for global telecom majors facing low demand in most western countries.

The main players in the cellular market are Bharti Tele-Ventures Ltd, 16 per cent owned by Singapore Telecommunications Ltd, state-owned telecoms giant Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd and the Indian mobile unit of the Hutchison Whampoa conglomerate.

Other players are Idea Cellular Ltd, partly owned by US firm AT&T Wireless Services Inc, and state-run Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd.

The unlisted BSNL -- which has the license to provide cellular services across India except New Delhi and Mumbai -- began its services in October and has attracted new users in small towns and cities.