
Why govt’s Vodafone Idea stake will hasten telecom tariff hikes
Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. On Saturday, the government converted ₹36,950 crore overdue spectrum charges from Vodafone Idea Ltd into equity, becoming the biggest shareholder in India’s third-largest telecom operator with a 49% stake. The original promoters of Vi, Aditya Birla group and British telecom company Vodafone Plc., will own a 25.7% minority stake but will continue to be classified as its promoters.
The government’s move not only saves Vodafone Idea from being branded a defaulter but also affirms the government’s commitment to keep Vi a going concern. Since January, Vi had lost 31% of its share value as investors had expected either a payment moratorium or surrender of spectrum, which, respectively, would only have either postponed or aggravated the company’s problems. On Tuesday, Vi’s shares hit the upper circuit breaker, moving up 10% in early trade, indicating bullish overtures.
(India’s stock markets were closed on Monday on account of Eid.) The moot question now is if the government’s bigger commitment can pull Vi out of the woods and make it a viable alternative to Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel. Also read | Vodafone Idea’s 5G rollout comes with a side of satellite internet FOMO But even after foregoing the spectrum payment, Vi’s fortunes will remain precarious. Its operating profit falls short of its interest payments, and after depreciation the company continues to report net losses each quarter.
It still has a debt of ₹1,72,900 crore in its books, which includes spectrum-related dues of ₹75,000 crore. The next instalment will be due in 12 months. To be able to pay its dues, Vodafone Idea has but a few options.
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