In what comes as a fresh setback for incumbent telecom majors, the Supreme Court has held that Rs 92,000 crore of unpaid license dues will have to be paid within 3 months.

This fresh hit comes after the Supreme Court had held that all income accruing to the telcom companies part of the adjusted gross revenue (AGR). This had resulted in the apex court upholding the DOT's claims of a license fee of Rs 92,000 crore, recoverable, primarily, from incumbent telecom majors.

Explained:

Here is how the Supreme Court ruling on AGR issue will affect telecom firms

The 3-month window would mean that Bharti would have to cough up Rs 21,682 crore and Voda Idea will have to pay Rs 28,300 crore within 3 months. The now insolvent R Comm is looking at a license fee demand of Rs 16,456 crore.

The AGR judgment of the Supreme Court led to leading Bharti and Voda-Idea expressing disappointment. In a statement released just hours after the judgment, both telcos had sought relief from the govt, citing stress in the sector.

First Published:Oct 25, 2019 10:01 PM IST