Vodafone Idea AGR Dues: No Relief Planned At The Moment, Says Union MoS

The government currently does not have any relief plan in place for Vodafone Idea, and neither is it considering to offer offer any fresh relief over pending adjusted gross revenue dues to other telecom players, said Chandra S Pemmasani, the Union Minister Of State for Communications.

The minister also vowed for fair competition in the telecom sector. “Government wants fair competition. In a free market with large capex related businesses like telecom, it's not easy to create 5-6 companies. Ideally we want 3-4 companies. In the end, the consumers will decide,” Pemmasani told NDTV Profit.

Recently, Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia had also reiterated his stance that India cannot afford a duopoly, and a duopoly would not support India's digital ambitions.

Pemmasani, addressing reports on Bharti Airtel's request of converting dues into equity likely not being approved, said, “Each situation is different, depending on the circumstances. We are taking a call on Vi because we want a good alternative, but we do not think there is a need for these kinds of things for other players.”

Vodafone Idea owes Rs 83,400 crore in AGR dues to the government. It had sought waivers on over Rs 45,000 crore in interest, penalty, and interest on penalty. The Supreme Court recently dismissed its plea, adding pressure to the company's financial position. “Not at the moment,” Pemmasani said, regarding plans of a relief for Vodafone Idea.

The minister also added that Starlink has been granted a license to operate in the country and the company will soon be installing ground equipment.