Vodafone Idea Falls Over 5%, Indus Towers and Bharti Airtel in Red as Supreme Court Dismisses AGR Dues Plea

On February 14, 2025, shares of Vodafone Idea, Indus Towers, and Bharti Airtel witnessed sharp declines after the Supreme Court dismissed their plea challenging the miscalculation in Adjusted Gross Revenue (AGR) dues. As of 1:06 PM, the Vodafone Idea share price had dropped by 5.7%, while Indus Towers share price fell by nearly 5%. Bharti Airtel’s share price also traded lower as investor sentiment weakened following the court’s decision.

Supreme Court Rejects AGR Dues Review Petition

As per a news report, A Supreme Court bench led by Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna, Justice Abhay S Oka, and Justice Sanjay Kumar dismissed the review petitions filed by telecom companies, stating: “We have carefully perused the review petitions as also the grounds in support thereof. In our opinion, no case for review of the order dated 23 July 2021 passed in Miscellaneous Applications is made out. The review petitions are, accordingly, dismissed. Pending applications, if any, shall stand disposed of.”

This ruling reaffirmed the July 2021 Supreme Court judgment, which had previously rejected telecom companies’ claims of errors in AGR dues calculations.

AGR Dues Miscalculation: Vodafone Idea and Bharti Airtel’s Financial Burden

The AGR dues dispute has been a prolonged financial strain on Indian telecom operators. The rejection of the review plea means the following dues remain payable:

• Vodafone Idea AGR dues: ₹58,254 crore
• Bharti Airtel AGR dues: ₹43,980 crore

Previously, the Supreme Court had provided a 10-year repayment timeline for telecom companies to clear their dues to the Department of Telecommunications (DoT). With the latest dismissal, companies must continue repaying as per the original order.

Stock Price Reaction: Vodafone Idea, Indus Towers, and Bharti Airtel Share Prices Drop

Following the verdict, shares of Vodafone Idea, Indus Towers, and Bharti Airtel declined as investors reacted negatively to the news. The Vodafone Idea share price fell by 5.7%, while Indus Towers share price slipped by 5%. Bharti Airtel’s share price was also in the red.

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