No relief in sight for telcos: Govt may not waive $13-billion AGR dues

The government's stand about the health of the industry mirrors comments made by billionaire Mukesh Ambani's Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd., which has said it has a 'divergent view' from its rivals

India won’t back down from collecting $13 billion of past dues from debt-laden telecom carriers because the industry is not under stress, a government official with knowledge of the matter said, a move that could deepen Bharti Airtel Ltd. and Vodafone Idea Ltd.’s financial woes.

India expects the carriers to pay up within 90 days as ordered by the Supreme Court last month, the official said, asking not to be identified, as the discussions are private. A panel of top bureaucrats could look at deferred payment plan for some of the dues, the person said.

The government’s stand about the health of