AGR dues: Telecom firms, DoT discuss part upfront payment by March 31

The move suggested by telcos, if executed, will bring in additional revenues of Rs 22,077 crore from Bharti Airtel, Vodafone Idea, and the Tatas in this fiscal year

Leading telcos are discussing a proposal with the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) regarding paying part of their AGR dues upfront by March 31 if the Supreme Court gives a favourable verdict on their “modification petition”, which will be heard this week.

The companies have offered to pay upfront the principal amount due for licence fees and spectrum usage charges (SUCs) on the basis of adjusted gross revenue (AGR). This amount will not include the interest, the penalty, and the interest on the penalty.  The proposed upfront amount will be the difference between the AGR calculations done by the DoT and what