Vodafone Idea Ltd. has filed a fresh plea in the Supreme Court seeking a waiver of ₹300 billion in adjusted gross revenue dues towards interest, penalty, and penalty on interest. The company’s counsel, Mukul Rohatgi, requested an urgent hearing on May 19, which the bench led by Chief Justice B.R. Gavai agreed.

Rohatgi said Vodafone Idea’s survival was crucial for the telecom sector and that the company was unable to make the payment on its own. He added that the government, which now owns 49% of Vodafone Idea, could not offer more relief due to restrictions imposed by the top court's earlier ruling on adjusted gross revenue.

In February, the court had dismissed review petitions filed by Bharti Airtel Ltd., Vodafone Idea, and others, which claimed the Department of Telecommunications had made calculation errors while computing the dues. The companies said that payments already made were not deducted from the final demands.

In a 2019 ruling, the Supreme Court sided with the government and imposed adjusted gross revenue dues of ₹1.47 trillion on telecom operators. In 2020, it allowed them 10 years to clear the dues, with 10% payable upfront. The court also barred any reassessment of the dues and said delays would attract interest, penalties, and contempt proceedings.

The Department of Telecommunications pegs Bharti Airtel’s dues at ₹439.80 billion versus the company’s estimate of ₹130.04 billion. Vodafone Idea’s dues are estimated at ₹582.54 billion by the department, against its own calculation of ₹215.33 billion.