The Supreme Court of India on Monday dismissed petitions filed by major telecom companies—Vodafone Idea, Bharti Airtel, and Tata Telecom—seeking waivers on interest, penalty, and interest on penalty related to their Adjusted Gross Revenue (AGR) dues.
A bench comprising Justice JB Pardiwala and Justice R Mahadevan termed the petitions as "misconceived". Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi, representing Vodafone Idea, requested an adjournment, stating that "they were trying to see if something could be done without bothering your lordships."
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However, Justice Pardiwala declined the request, expressing strong disapproval. "We are really shocked by the three writ petitions. Really disturbed. It is not expected of a multinational company of this repute," he remarked.
Rohatgi highlighted that the Government now holds 50% ownership in Vodafone Idea. Responding to this, Justice Pardiwala stated, "If the Government wants to help you, let them. We are not coming in the way. But this is dismissed."
When Rohatgi pointed out that the Government could not help due to the Supreme Court's judgment, Justice Pardiwala reminded that the review and curative petitions against the AGR judgment were already dismissed. Further, when Rohatgi sought permission to withdraw the petition, the Court firmly denied it, stating, "We will not permit you to withdraw as well."
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- Vodafone Idea had sought a waiver of over ₹45,000 crore in AGR-related dues.
- Bharti Airtel's claim was for a waiver of approximately ₹34,745 crore.
- Tata Telecom's petition, though not listed initially, was also taken up by the bench and dismissed.
Senior Advocates Shyam Divan and Arvind P Datar appeared for Airtel and Tata Telecom, respectively.
Background of AGR Dispute:
The AGR dispute originated from the Supreme Court's October 2019 judgment, which upheld the Department of Telecommunications' (DoT) definition of Adjusted Gross Revenue. This expanded the scope of AGR to include non-core revenues, leading to massive dues for telecom operators.
Following the 2019 ruling, telecom companies faced dues exceeding ₹1.4 lakh crore, including penalties and interest. Financially strained firms like Vodafone Idea and Bharti Airtel saw their survival threatened by these liabilities. Despite attempts for review and modification, the Court rejected the petitions in early 2020.
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The Supreme Court later granted a 10-year payment timeline in September 2020, allowing companies to pay in annual installments. However, this relief did not change the amount of the dues.
Case : VODAFONE IDEA LTD. AND ANR vs UNION OF INDIA W.P.(C) No. 505/2025, BHARTI AIRTEL LIMITED AND ORS vs UNION OF INDIA W.P.(C) No. 512/2025
