Telcos to take a call on paying AGR dues today

NEW DELHI : Vodafone Idea Ltd, the worst hit by the top court’s order on telecom dues, will await the hearing of its modification plea seeking easier payment terms before clearing dues to the government, a person aware of the development said.

While Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd, the least affected by the court order, indicated that it will pay dues before the 23 January deadline set by the court, Bharti Airtel chose not to reveal its exact plan, although the company has raised $3 billion earlier this month to repay dues, according to three people aware of the development, who requested anonymity.

The 24 October court order that ended a 14-year legal battle between telcos and the department of telecommunications (DoT) asked India’s top wireless carriers to cough up more than ₹1 trillion in dues, straining their already precarious financial situation.