Vodafone Idea (Vi) has missed the March 10, 2025 deadline to submit the bank guarantee (BG) of Rs 6,090.7 crore or make a cash payment of Rs 5,493.2 crore to the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) for the shortfall in its 2015 spectrum auction payments. This non-compliance may prompt government action, though DoT has yet to grant an extension.
The financially struggling telecom operator was expected to fulfill the payment requirement by the close of business on March 10 but failed to do so. A senior official stated, “We will see what action can be taken in the coming couple of days,” while confirming that no deadline extension has been approved so far.
As per DoT’s BG waiver policy announced in December 2024, Vodafone Idea was required to clear the pending amount on a pro-rata basis for the spectrum it acquired. The company’s failure to comply could lead to regulatory consequences.
Vi had earlier benefited from the 2021 telecom relief package, under which the government waived off Rs 33,000 crore worth of bank guarantees for private operators. However, due to a one-time partial shortfall in the 2015 spectrum auction, Vi had to either provide a fresh BG or make a cash payment, unlike competitors Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio, who had already fulfilled their spectrum payment obligations.
