Bharti Airtel and Bharti Hexacom approached the Supreme Court on Saturday seeking relief in the ongoing Adjusted Gross Revenue (AGR) dues case, joining Vodafone Idea in urging judicial intervention to prevent further financial stress in the telecom sector. In their joint petition, the Bharti companies informed that the AGR liabilities severely constrain their ability to make critical investments in telecom infrastructure.
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AGR Dues Threaten Telecom Investment Plans
"The AGR dues gravely impacted the ability of the two Bharti companies to meet the much-needed aggressive network roll out requirements for remaining competitive in the telecom sector and for sustaining their operations and serving public interest. Therefore, in the absence of grant of waiver, as prayed hereunder, on a non-discriminatory basis to all license holders/ISPs impacted by the AGR judgment, would undoubtedly jeopardise the survivability of the Bharti Companies and the entire telecom sector at large," the petition stated, according to an ET report.
Over the years, Airtel has made significant investments in developing India's telecom sector. To remain competitive and continue serving the public interest by expanding critical telecom infrastructure, the petitioner companies need to undertake substantial investments. These include meeting rural rollout obligations, expanding fibre networks and spectrum, developing data centres, submarine cables and landing stations, and adopting advanced technologies such as 5G Standalone Architecture (SA) and 6G, according to the report.
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Commitment to Digital India
The two companies also emphasised their ongoing commitment to the government's digital infrastructure goals for the country's overall economic growth. As per the petition, the companies have paid around Rs 75,000 crore in licence fees and spectrum usage charges over the last 10 years, along with about Rs 22,000 crore in GST in the financial year 2024–25.
According to the petition, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) initially pegged Bharti Airtel's AGR liability at Rs 9,235 crore. However, this amount ballooned to Rs 43,980 crore due to interest, penalties, and interest on penalties. As of March 31, 2025, despite cumulative payments of Rs 18,000 crore—including an ad hoc Rs 5,000 crore—the outstanding dues stand at Rs 38,397 crore, based on DoT's calculations, according to the report.
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Vodafone Idea Also Seeks Similar Relief
This move comes days after Vodafone Idea filed a fresh plea in the apex court seeking a waiver of over Rs 45,000 crore in similar dues. The telco warned of financial collapse without relief. Vodafone Idea, which serves nearly 200 million subscribers, has paid Rs 7,900 crore against a DoT-assessed liability of Rs 58,300 crore—though the company contests the figure, claiming its actual dues are closer to Rs 21,500 crore.
The Supreme Court, which has consistently upheld the DoT's AGR calculations, previously ruled that telcos must clear their dues over a 10-year period ending March 31, 2031, with no reassessment or relief. Any default, the court warned, would attract further penalties and potential contempt proceedings.
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