Telecom

The Rs 9.3 lakh crore factor: Why the government saved Vodafone Idea

Pratap Vikram Singh

February 16, 2026 | 10 Min Read

The Rs 9.3 lakh crore factor: Why the government saved Vodafone Idea

February 16, 2026 | 10 Min Read

Facing the prospect of India’s third-largest telecom operator shutting down and a staggering hit to the exchequer, key departments worked intensively to come up with a plan that could keep it afloat, according to government documents.

By the end of August 2025, the sentiment in Delhi had shifted strongly in favour of Vodafone Idea’s survival. Just months earlier, in May, the Supreme Court had rejected the curative petitions by the telecom companies, including Airtel and Vodafone Idea. This relates to the dues telcos owed to the government in the adjusted gross revenues or AGR matter, which has been the subject of one of the largest and oldest litigations to haunt the sector.

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