‘Airtel to opt for deferred payment option for dues’

Bharti Airtel NSE 0.90 % chairman Sunil Bharti Mittal said on Thursday that the telecom operator will opt for the four-year deferred option for adjusted gross revenue (AGR) and spectrum payments, which will free up Rs35,000-40,000 crore cash to invest in networks and technology.

The company’s board will take a call on converting interest on dues into government equity, which may lead to a maximum 2-3% dilution, he said.