New Delhi, Sept 10: Vodafone Idea has moved the Supreme Court seeking to quash an additional Rs 9,450 crore AGR demand by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), arguing that the fresh dues exceed the scope of the Court’s earlier ruling on AGR liabilities.
The telecom operator’s petition challenges the DoT’s revised calculations covering dues up to FY17 and the updated licence fee obligations for both the Idea Cellular group and Vodafone Idea Limited through FY19. These revised dues fall under the government’s moratorium on AGR payments, which ends on March 31, 2026, after which Vodafone Idea will have to begin making instalments. As part of its latest assessment, the DoT has raised an extra demand of Rs 2,774 crore for FY18-19. Vodafone Idea has contested the calculation, claiming that certain amounts have been added twice and need reconciliation. The company has asked for a recalculation of dues, starting from the pre-FY17 period.
According to the petition, out of the total Re 9,450 crore demand, Rs 2,774 crore pertains to the post-merger entity — Idea Group and Vodafone Idea — following their August 2018 consolidation, while Rs 5,675 crore relates to the pre-merger Vodafone Group’s liabilities.
Vodafone Idea further noted that this total amount, scheduled for payment by 31 March 2026, includes a significant portion of approximately Rs 5,606 crore (as of 31 March 2025) for dues up to FY 2016-17, which had already been settled by the Supreme Court. Vodafone Idea declined to comment on the matter.
The Supreme Court is expected to hear the petition in the coming weeks.