Telcos’ AGR dues cross Rs 1.77 lakh crore till FY25; Vodafone Idea accounts for nearly half of liability

India’s telecom operators together owed more than Rs 1.77 lakh crore in adjusted gross revenue (AGR) dues to the government up to FY25, with Vodafone Idea accounting for the largest share, according to official data shared with Parliament, PTI reported.

The data showed that debt-laden Vodafone Idea’s total liability stands at Rs 89,952 crore. Bharti Group’s dues are pegged at Rs 51,091 crore, followed by Tata Group at Rs 20,426 crore, MTNL at Rs 14,462 crore, and Reliance Jio Infocomm at Rs 1,984 crore.

In Vodafone Idea’s case, AGR dues relating to the period between FY2006–07 and FY2018–19 have been frozen at Rs 87,695 crore. The frozen dues are subject to reassessment.

Parliament was informed that the Department of Telecom constituted a committee on January 30 to determine the outcome of the reassessment of Vodafone Idea’s frozen dues.

"The Committee comprises a retired Secretary-level officer of the Government of India and a representative of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG), as nominated by the CAG.

"The Committee shall finalise the outcome of the reassessment within a period of two months, unless extended. The decision of the committee shall be final, binding on both parties (DoT and VIL)," the official statement shared with Parliament said.