Debt-laden Vodafone Idea may have put expansion plans on hold

NEW DELHI: Vodafone Idea is believed to have put its fresh 4G expansion and modernisation plans on hold to conserve money to meet a late January deadline to pay up thousands of crores in statutory dues, people familiar with the matter said.

The loss-making operator had earlier said it may be forced to shut shop if it doesn’t get any relief from the government or the judiciary on its estimated Rs 53,000-crore dues to the government after the Supreme Court in October upheld the telecom department’s definition adjusted gross revenues on the basis of which telcos pay their licence fee & other levies.

All the four telecom equipment vendors in the country — Ericsson, Nokia, Huawei and ZTE — are now concerned over the recovery of their dues from Vodafone Idea, industry insiders said.