The Modi government has put pressure on Vodafone Idea (Vi) for paying up the adjusted gross revenue (AGR) dues, and hasn't allowed for a recalculation of the dues. On top of the AGR dues that are already payable from the end of this year, the government has raised demand for additional AGR dues. While the AGR dues have been a burden for the Vi, the government has in the past extended its hand to help out the telco. Firstly, there was a relief package announced in September 2021, which allowed Vi to continue for years without paying the dues. Then the government also took stake in the telco, and in return, it reduced the dues that Vi owed to the center. At present, the government owns 48.99% stake in Vi, and isn't looking to take further stake in the company.
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So the help from the government in terms of getting more stake is out of the picture, and has been confirmed already. The Modi government's stance has been very simple, it doesn't want a duopoly. That's why it has been also pushing BSNL to launch high-speed network services all across country. Vodafone Idea is an important company for the country, however, there's only so much a government can do to help a private company. To make reforms only focused to help Vodafone Idea is also not a good thing.
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The Modi government has indeed helped Vi quite a lot over the years. But to expect any major help in the near future can be slightly tricky. There's no saying on what would happen. For now, there's a fight going on between the government and the telco in the Supreme Court of India for the matter of additional AGR demand from the center. All the eyes will be on the case for the time being.
