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Vi Share Price: Vodafone Idea challenges Rs 9,450 crore AGR demand by DoT in Supreme Court, seeks recalculation as government rules out further relief.
The government became Vodafone Idea’s single-largest shareholder after converting Rs 36,950 crore of spectrum dues into equity in March this year.
Vodafone Idea Share Price: Vodafone Idea’s shares will remain in focus on Wednesday, September 10, as the telecom has knocked on the doors of the Supreme Court seeking to suspend an additional Rs 9,450 crore AGR demand by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT). Vodafone Idea called the fresh AGR dues exceeding the Court’s earlier ruling on AGR liabilities.
Vodafone Idea is pinning hopes to iron out the additional AGRs by DoT before the SC’s moratorium guideline ends on March 31, 2026. The telecom then has to begin making investments for its AGR dues to the government.
In the petition filed to the SC, telecom challenged DoT’s revises calculations covering dues up to FY17 and updated licence fee obligations for both the Idea Cellular group and Vodafone Idea Limited through FY19.
The telecom said that certain demands of Rs 2,7447 additional AGR for 18-19 have been added twice and need reconciliation. The company has asked for a recalculation of dues, starting from the pre-FY17 period.
According to the petition, of the total demand of Rs 9,450 crore, around Rs 2,774 crore pertains to the post-merger entity — Idea Group and Vodafone Idea — after their consolidation in August 2018, while Rs 5,675 crore relates to pre-merger liabilities of Vodafone Group.
The company further highlighted that the total demand, due by March 31, 2026, includes nearly Rs 5,606 crore (as of March 31, 2025) for dues up to FY 2016-17, which had already been settled by the Supreme Court.
Earlier, the Indian government ruled out extending any relief to debt-ridden Vodafone Idea.
Vodafone Idea continues to grapple with high debt levels, stiff competition from rivals Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel, and outstanding dues linked to adjusted gross revenue (AGR). The government’s stance signals that the telco will have to rely on internal measures, fundraising, or market partnerships to stay afloat, rather than expect a bailout.
The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) is not considering any fresh concessions for Vodafone Idea beyond the measures already extended, according to Minister of State for Communications Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani. He highlighted that the government has already converted a significant portion of the telco’s dues into equity and there are no proposals under discussion for further relief.
The government became Vodafone Idea’s single-largest shareholder after converting Rs 36,950 crore of spectrum dues into equity in March this year. A similar step was taken in 2023, when it acquired around a 33% stake against dues worth Rs 16,000 crore. Despite these measures, Vodafone Idea has admitted in court filings that survival without government support remains uncertain.
Varun Yadav is a Sub Editor at News18 Business Digital. He writes articles on markets, personal finance, technology, and more. He completed his post-graduation diploma in English Journalism from the Indian Inst…Read More
Varun Yadav is a Sub Editor at News18 Business Digital. He writes articles on markets, personal finance, technology, and more. He completed his post-graduation diploma in English Journalism from the Indian Inst… Read More
September 10, 2025, 08:39 IST
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