Bharti Airtel, Vodafone Idea, TTSL seek modification in AGR ruling, move SC

Mumbai: Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea have moved the Supreme Court in a bid to delay payments that are due Thursday. Tata Teleservices has also done so, said people with knowledge of the matter. The operators want to be allowed to negotiate conditions and schedules for payment of statutory dues with the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), according to their petitions.

Vodafone Idea told the court that if no relief is forthcoming, it will have to shut.

“The company does not have any other resource available for the purpose of this payment,” Vodafone Idea said in its plea, which ET has seen. “If a suitable and appropriate arrangement is not made available, it will lead to immediate closure of one of the oldest and largest telecom companies in India.”