**Vodafone Idea Files Amended Petition in Supreme Court Seeking AGR Relief**
*By Mudit Dube | Sep 29, 2025, 04:36 PM*
Vodafone Idea (Vi) has filed an amended petition in the Supreme Court seeking a waiver of interest and penalty on its adjusted gross revenue (AGR) dues. The company has also requested a recalculation of AGR liabilities, citing earlier cases where similar demands were accepted.
This new petition differs from Vi’s previous plea, which focused solely on recalculating AGR liabilities.
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### Hearing Postponed to October 6
The Supreme Court adjourned the hearing on Vi’s plea to October 6. During the last hearing, the Centre stated that it does not oppose Vi’s petition but emphasized that a solution was necessary since the government is also an equity holder in the company.
This development came amid the Department of Telecom’s (DoT) demand of ₹5,606 crore for the fiscal year 2016-17 against Vodafone Idea.
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### Legal Arguments and Additional Relief Sought
In its amended petition, Vodafone Idea argued that the AGR dues were already “crystallized” by the 2019 Supreme Court judgment and therefore could not be reopened. The company requested that interest, penalties, and interest on penalties related to principal AGR dues should not be payable.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Centre, requested the adjournment until October 6.
Vi also cited previous judgments where courts had granted similar waivers, strengthening its case for additional relief.
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### Case Origins and Significance
The dispute originates from the Supreme Court’s March 18, 2020, order, which upheld AGR dues up to the fiscal year 2017 as calculated by the DoT and barred any reassessment by telecom operators.
Despite this ruling, the DoT has raised fresh claims for the fiscal years 2018 and 2019. Vodafone Idea contends that much of the new demand overlaps with periods that were already settled by the apex court.
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### Government’s Equity Stake in Vodafone Idea
Following equity conversion, the Central government now holds a 48.99% stake in Vodafone Idea, having converted ₹53,083 crore of dues into equity.
Of the fresh demand totaling ₹9,450 crore:
– ₹2,774 crore is attributable to the Idea Group and Vodafone Idea (post-merger),
– ₹6,675 crore is directed at Vodafone Group for the pre-merger period.
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### Outstanding AGR Liabilities
Vodafone Idea’s AGR dues total ₹83,400 crore, with annual installments of ₹18,000 crore starting March. Including penalties and interest, the company’s total liabilities to the government are estimated at ₹2 lakh crore.
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This ongoing legal battle remains critical for Vodafone Idea’s financial health and the telecom sector at large, as the company seeks relief amid mounting dues and government intervention.
https://www.newsbytesapp.com/news/business/vodafone-idea-files-amended-petition-for-agr-relief-in-sc/story
