Airtel-Tata Tele merger: TDSAT stays DoT call for Rs 8,300 crore guarantees

New Delhi: Telecom tribunal TDSAT earlier this week granted partial stay on Rs 8,300 crore demand raised by the telecom department from Bharti Airtel for approving its merger with Tata Teleservices. The TDSAT has directed “the concerned authorities of the Union of India to take the merger of two companies and licence on record”, subject to stay on one-time spectrum charges (OTSC) demand of around Rs 7,000 crore.
The tribunal asked Airtel to submit 50 per cent payment of Rs 1,287.97 crore demand raised by DoT as OTSC for Chennai circle licence extension from November 30, 2014 to September 27, 2021.
It has directed Airtel to submit around Rs 640 crore for Chennai licence within four weeks.