Non-telcos to face Rs 2.5 lakh crore AGR payments: Assocham to govt

Industry lobby group Assocham has sought ‘urgent intervention’ of Telecom and IT minister Ravi Shankar Prasad to resolve the crisis emanating from the wider implication of Supreme Court’s order as per which even ISP, ILD, NLD, VSAT and other non-telecom license holders have to count all their revenue to calculate adjusted gross revenue (AGR).

The industry body estimates that companies across sectors would face Rs 2.5 lakh crore as payments for the last 10 years, which can rise further, once all companies impacted by the judgment are identified and counted for previous years. In a letter to Prasad dated November 27, the industry body has urged the minister to step in to avoid the unprecedented financial crisis across sectors, and to ensure business continuity and investments.