Vodafone Idea has petitioned the Supreme Court to set aside the DoT’s demand for ₹9,450 crore in additional AGR dues, arguing that it goes beyond the scope of the Court’s earlier ruling on AGR liabilities.
According to reports, the DoT has filed an affidavit defending its stance, saying that the additional dues represent a ‘gap’ from earlier accounting, not a reassessment. The department maintains that these liabilities emerged after the completion of financial accounts and were not covered under the apex court’s 2019 judgment.
Of the total ₹9,450 crore, ₹2,774 crore pertains to FY18-19 dues of the merged entity (Vodafone Idea and Idea Group post their August 2018 consolidation), while ₹5,675 crore relates to the pre-merger Vodafone Group.
Vodafone Idea has contested the calculation, claiming some amounts were duplicated and seeking a fresh reconciliation starting from pre-FY17.
Meanwhile, Minister of State for Communications Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani told CNBC-TV18 that the government will not extend any additional relief to the financially stressed telco.
Referring to the 2021 support package, under which nearly ₹53,000 crore of dues were converted into equity, giving the Centre a 49% stake, Pemmasani said, “Whatever we wanted to do has already been done. Vodafone is up to their management… they know how to manage and it’s up to them to take it forward.”
Earlier, on July 2, Telecom Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia had also clarified to CNBC-TV18 that the government has no plans to convert Vodafone Idea into a public sector undertaking (PSU).
First Published: Sept 15, 2025 3:40 PM IST
