Union Telecom Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia has emphasized that India cannot afford a duopoly in the telecom sector, reinforcing the government’s commitment to maintaining healthy competition. Speaking at the World Wi-Fi Day Summit, organized by the Broadband India Forum, Scindia noted that a two-player market would be detrimental to India’s digital growth ambitions.
His remarks come amid reports that the government may be exploring a relief package for Vodafone Idea (Vi), which is under significant financial pressure. Vi currently owes ₹83,400 crore in adjusted gross revenue (AGR) dues to the government. Its plea for a waiver of ₹45,000 crore in interest and penalties was recently rejected by the Supreme Court, further tightening its financial situation.
In its Q4 FY25 results, Vodafone Idea reported a net loss of ₹7,166 crore, slightly better than the ₹7,675 crore loss in the same quarter last year, but worse than the ₹6,609 crore loss in Q3 FY25. For the full fiscal year, Vi trimmed its annual loss to ₹27,383 crore, down from ₹31,238 crore in FY24.
Responding to media reports about potential government relief, Vodafone Idea stated on Tuesday: “We have not received any communication from the Government in relation to the above reported matter. As and when there is any development which requires disclosure, we will do the needful.” The government’s stance appears to signal a willingness to intervene and preserve market competition, especially at a time when the industry is dominated by Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel.
