Vodafone Idea Ltd. is looking forward to working with the Department of Telecommunications to resolve the AGR dues case, after a Supreme Court reprieve in the matter.
“The Supreme Court has today permitted the Government of India to consider the grievances of Vodafone Idea Ltd. on the issues relating to AGR,” the debt-laden telecom operator said in an exchange filing on Monday. “We look forward to working closely with the Department of Telecommunications to resolve this matter in the interests of our nearly 200 million subscribers.”
On Monday (27 October 2025), the Supreme Court allowed the government to reconsider billions in past dues of Vodafone Idea, rekindling revival hopes for what was once India's largest telecom operator. That was only because the Centre had picked up equity in the company in lieu of debt, acting in the interests of 20 crore subscribers.
As on date, Vodafone Idea's AGR dues are seen at ₹83,400 crore. Including penalties, interest, spectrum and licence fees, etc., the total debt is around ₹2 lakh crore.
Any substantial reduction in debt will be a lifeline for Vodafone Idea, which hasn't reported a quarterly profit since 2016 when Vodafone India Pvt. Ltd. merged with Aditya Birla Group's Idea Cellular Ltd. That was a result of an industry-wide consolidation triggered by Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd., which launched operations in that year, offering voice and data for free.
Vodafone Idea has argued that the burden of the AGR dues threatens its survival, and that it “cannot operate beyond FY26” without relief.
{{/usCountry}}Vodafone Idea has argued that the burden of the AGR dues threatens its survival, and that it “cannot operate beyond FY26” without relief.
{{/usCountry}}On 6 October, Bloomberg News reported that the government is considering a one-time settlement for Vodafone Idea, even as Telecom Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia later indicated that the government is not considering raising its stake in Vodafone Idea beyond the existing 49%.
On Monday, Vodafone Idea's share price rose as much as 10% to the highest since September 2024, before paring some of the gains to end the day 3.85% higher at ₹9.99. The benchmark Sensex gained 0.67% to 84,778.84 points.