After Vodafone Idea, now Bharti Airtel and Bharti Hexacom have filed a petition in the Supreme Court demanding relief in the arrears of adjustable gross revenue (AGR). It has been argued that continuing liability without exemption will affect not only their operations but the entire telecom sector. In its petition, Bharti companies said, “The AGR dues have severely affected the ability of the two Bharti companies to meet the ability to meet the very necessary aggressive network rollouts … The existence of Bharti companies and the entire telecom sector will be in danger due to lack of discounts.”
The petition said that due to interest and fine, the basic liability of Rs 9,235 crore has increased to Rs 43,980 crore. According to the Department of Telecommunications (DOT), till 31 March 2025, companies still owe Rs 38,397 crore.
75000 crore license fee filled in 10 years
According to an ET report, Airtel has also highlighted its significant contribution to the government treasury. The company has paid Rs 75,000 crore as license fee in a decade and Rs 22,000 crore as GST. The group says that all affected telecom licenses should be given relief without any discrimination.
