Do or Die — What the SC Order on AGR Dues Means for Telcos

What are the ramifications of the Supreme Court’s AGR judgment on the telecom companies and the economy?

The debt-laden telecom companies, including Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea, are stuck between the devil and the dead sea. They either have to pay up a sum of Rs 1.47 lakh crores as AGR dues or it may just lead to contempt of court. The initial deadline for the telecom companies to pay up the AGR dues was 23 January and in a seemingly last ditch attempt, the telecom companies had filed fresh pleas seeking more time from the Supreme Court. The apex court instead came down heavily on both the telecom companies and the department of telecommunication.