Tata may have to pay Rs 90 bn to govt for selling mobile business to Airtel

Airtel agreed to acquire Tata Teleservices's airwaves and users in a "debt-free cash-free" transaction

Tata Group may have to pay around Rs 90 billion ($1.3 billion) in dues to the Indian government to rescue the proposed sale of its mobile-phone business to Bharti Airtel Ltd., people familiar with the matter said.

The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) is demanding that Tata Teleservices Ltd. clear any obligations to the government before it approves the deal that was struck in October, the people said, asking not to be identified as the information isn’t public. Bharti Airtel, helmed by billionaire Sunil Mittal, is unlikely to agree to pay the sum, two of the people said.

Selling its indebted