Vodafone Idea paid DoT the outstanding spectrum of Rs 3042.80 crore

Vodafone Idea on Tuesday paid the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) ₹3042.80 crore for airwaves bought in the auctions of 2014, which is also the deadline for the payments. The payment comes even as the telecom firm faces balance adjusted gross revenue (AGR) dues of ₹53,500 crore.

The company has so far paid ₹3,500 crore and is hoping for some relief, without which it has warned it may have to shut operations. A source in the know of the development confirmed the payment and said Vodafone Plc global chief executive officer Nick Read is likely to come to India soon to meet with Union telecom minister Ravi Shankar Prasad.

Vodafone Idea, which had last week paid ₹3,500 crore out of the outstanding dues, in a letter to the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) said it is "not in a sound financial state" to settle the dues and sought "urgent support from the government".