Telecom operators owe government over Rs 1.4 lakh crore in AGR dues

Telecom operators owed the government over Rs 1.4 lakh crore in adjusted gross revenue dues as of March 31, 2026, Parliament was informed. Vodafone Idea had the highest outstanding amount at Rs 66,149 crore, followed by Bharti Airtel with Rs 41,178.58 crore

New Delhi: Telecom operators cumulatively owe the government over Rs 1.4 lakh crore in adjusted gross revenue dues as on March 31, 2026, Parliament was informed on Thursday. In a written reply to the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Telecom Pemmasani Chandra Sekhar, however, said the total AGR (adjusted gross revenue) dues are subject to revision on the basis of the representation by TSP (telecom service providers), departmental assessments, audit observations, court cases, etc.

According to data shared by the minister, Vodafone Idea has the highest outstanding amount of Rs 66,149 crore. It is followed by Bharti Airtel with total dues of Rs 41,178.58 crore, Tata Group Rs 16,649.77 crore, MTNL Rs 14,870.39, while BSNL has no outstanding amount. “The AGR dues amounting to Rs 1,18,550.45 crores pertain to moratorium and restructuring package to VIL (Vodafone Idea),” the minister said.

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Telecom companies are required to pay a portion of their revenue earned from the sale of telecom services to the government, which is derived as AGR after deducting other revenue components such as rentals, pass-through charges, etc. from the gross revenue. The minister said that Bharti Group, Tata Group, and Quadrant Televentures Ltd. opted for the moratorium and did not opt for conversion of the interest amount into equity.

“For Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL), under the BSNL Revival Package, 2022, AGR dues up to FY 2024-25 were fully settled through equity infusion. The AGR dues of Mahanagar Telecom Nigam Limited (MTNL) have been decided to be realized from the proceeds of asset monetization,” he said.