



Two years on, telecom regulator still can’t own its head office
Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. For a regulator tasked with overseeing one of India’s most critical infrastructure sectors, operating from an office it does not legally own is an unusual predicament. Nearly two years after the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) moved into its new headquarters at the World Trade Centre in New Delhi's Nauroji Nagar, the premises are yet to be registered in its name, with the process stuck over a missing no-objection certificate from the ministry of housing and urban affairs, three officials aware of the matter said.
The delay stems from Trai's dispute with state-owned NBCC (India) Ltd, under the ministry, which built the 1.16-lakh-square-feet office at a cost of about ₹450 crore. The developer has demanded a ₹57 lakh interest for alleged delayed payment by Trai, leading to an impasse that has held back the mandatory clearance required for formal registration. “When the office premises were handed over to Trai in May 2024, the office was in an incomplete state.
In addition, a few upper floors in the Tower F building were still under construction, which led to water seepage into various areas of the Trai premises, damaging the interior and furniture," said the first official cited above, adding that this led to the regulator holding back a portion of the payment— ₹30 lakh—against the damage and incomplete work. The amount was released in December 2024 on completion of the work. However, NBCC levied an interest of ₹56.8 lakh that the regulator has not yet paid.
“These are non-legitimate charges. Trai had sent several communications to NBCC, requesting waiver of the interest charges under the circumstances. But no formal response has been received till date," said a second
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