AGR Dues
Vodafone Idea files fresh plea in SC seeking waiver of INR 300 bln AGR dues
This story was originally published at 15:42 IST on 15 May 2025
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NEW DELHI – Vodafone Idea Ltd. has filed a fresh petition in the Supreme Court seeking a waiver of INR 300 billion in adjusted gross revenue dues towards interest, penalty and penalty on interest. Advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for Vodafone Idea, sought an urgent listing of the petition on May 19, which was agreed to by the bench led by Chief Justice of India B.R. Gavai.
Rohatgi said that Vodafone Idea's survival was important for the telecom sector and it was finding it difficult to make the payment on its own. Rohatgi said that the government, which now owned 49% of the company, was handicapped in granting further relief due to constraints imposed by the apex court in its adjusted gross revenue verdict.
In February, the top court had rejected review petitions filed by Bharti Airtel Ltd., Vodafone Idea Ltd., and others alleging that certain arithmetic errors had arisen due to inadvertence on part of Department of Telecommunications while computing adjusted gross revenue dues. The petitioners had said there were some "glaring errors" in the demand raised by the government, wherein the amounts that have already been paid by the companies were not taken into account for computing outstanding adjusted gross revenue dues.
In 2019, the apex court had backed the government's view and levied adjusted gross revenue dues on telecom companies of INR 1.47 trillion. Thereafter in 2020, the court had granted 10 years to telecom companies to clear their adjusted gross revenue dues to the Department of Telecommunications. It had asked telecom companies to pay 10% of the adjusted gross revenue dues upfront. The top court then said that no revaluation of adjusted gross revenue dues would be allowed, and any default would invite interest, penalty, and contempt of court.
The Department of Telecommunications has estimated Bharti Airtel's dues at INR 439.80 billion, way higher than the company's estimate of INR 130.04 billion. The department has estimated Vodafone Idea's dues at INR 582.54 billion compared with the company's assessment of INR 215.33 billion.
On Thursday, shares of Vodafone Idea ended up 3.6% at INR 7.23 and those of Bharti Airtel closed 1.8% higher at INR 1,867.20, on the National Stock Exchange. End
Reported by Surya Tripathi
Edited by Tanima Banerjee
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