As payments loom, survival of Vodafone Idea at risk: DoT officials

Mumbai: The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) is concerned about Vodafone Idea’s ability to meet its upcoming statutory payment obligations, with officials warning that the latest Supreme Court ruling has put a big question mark on the debt-laden telco’s survival.

“Vodafone Idea has made its payments so far but there have been delays in some of the quarterly dues. But now there is a big question on survival,” a senior official told ET. “They have a large chunk of spectrum instalments due in a few months as well.”

The company had written a letter to DoT secretary Anshu Prakash on June 25 requesting another year — till April 2023 — to pay its dues of Rs8,292 crore over spectrum purchased in auctions.