Provisions are recognised when the Companyhas a present obligation (legal or constructive)as a result of a past event, it is probable thatan outflow of resources embodying economicbenefits will be required to settle the obligationand a reliable estimate can be made of theamount of the obligation. The expense relatingto a provision is presented in the Statement ofProfit and Loss.
If the effect of the time value of money is material,provisions are discounted using a current pre-taxrate that reflects, when appropriate, the risksspecific to the liability. When discounting is used,the increase in the provision due to the passageof time is recognised as a finance cost.
ARO is provided for those lease arrangementswhere the Company has a binding obligationto restore the said location / premises atthe end of the period in a condition similarto inception of the arrangement. Therestoration and decommissioning costs areprovided at the present value of expectedcosts to settle the obligation using estimatedcash flows and are recognised as part ofthe cost of the particular asset. The cashflows are discounted at a current pre-taxrate that reflects the risks specific to thedecommissioning liability. The unwindingof the discount is expensed as incurred andrecognised in the Statement of Profit andLoss as a finance cost. The estimated futurecosts of decommissioning are reviewedannually and adjusted as appropriate.Changes in the estimated future costs orin the discount rate applied are added to ordeducted from the cost of the asset.
A Contingent Liability is disclosed wherethere is a possible obligation or a presentobligation that may, but probably will not,require an outflow of resources. ContingentAssets are not recognised.
iii. Onerous Contract
An onerous contract is a contract underwhich the unavoidable costs (i.e., the coststhat the Company cannot avoid because ithas the contract) of meeting the obligationsunder the contract exceed the economicbenefits expected to be received under it. Theunavoidable costs under a contract reflect theleast net cost of exiting from the contract,which is the lower of the cost of fulfilling itand any compensation or penalties arisingfrom failure to fulfil it.
If the Company has a contract that is onerous,the present obligation under the contractis recognised and measured as a provision.However, before a separate provision foran onerous contract is established, theCompany recognises any impairment lossthat has occurred on assets dedicated tothat contract.
v) Business Combinations
Business Combinations are accounted for using IndAS 103 ‘Business Combination'. Acquisitions ofbusinesses are accounted for using the acquisitionmethod unless the transaction is between entitiesunder common control.
Business Combinations arising from transferof interests in entities that are under commoncontrol, are accounted using pooling of interestmethod wherein, assets and liabilities of thecombining entities are reflected at their carryingvalue. No adjustment is made to reflect fair values,or recognize any new assets or liabilities otherthan those required to harmonise accountingpolicies. The identity of the reserves is preservedand appears in the financial statements of thetransferee in the same form in which they appearedin the financial statements of the transferor.
w) Segment Information
The Chief Operating Decision maker primarilyfocusses on Mobility business in making decisionson operating matters and on allocating resourcesin evaluating performance. Accordingly, theCompany operates only in one reportable segment
i.e. Mobility and hence no separate disclosure isrequired for Segment.
x) Events after reporting date
Events occurring after the reporting date and upto the date of approval of the financial statementsare considered for adjustment or disclosure inaccordance with applicable accounting standards.
y) Recent pronouncements
The Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) has notifiedcertain amendments to existing Indian AccountingStandards (Ind AS) which are applicable for thecurrent and future financial years.
(A) Standards notified and adopted by theCompany (Effective from April 1, 2025)
Amendments to Ind AS 1 - Presentation ofFinancial Statements
The amendment relates to classification of liabilitiesas current or non -current and non-current liabilitieswith covenants. In the context of classifying aliability as current, it removes the requirement ofexistence of a right to defer settlement for at least12 months after the reporting date, and insteadrequires that the said right should exist on thereporting date and have substance.
Amendments to Ind AS 7 and Ind AS 107
New disclosure requirements have been introducedto enhance transparency regarding supplier financearrangements (e.g., reverse factoring). Entities arenow required to disclose the terms and conditions,the carrying amount of financial liabilities under sucharrangements, and the associated liquidity risk.
Amendments to Ind AS 12 - Income Taxes(Pillar Two Model Rules)
The amendments provide mandatory temporaryexception to the accounting for deferred taxes
arising from Pillar Two model rules published bythe Organisation for Economic Co-operation andDevelopment (OECD).
Ind AS 21 - The Effects of Changes inForeign Exchange Rates
The amendments clarify when a currency isexchangeable into another and how an entityshould determine a spot exchange rate whenexchangeability is lacking.
(B) Standards notified but not yet effective(Effective on or after April 1, 2026)
Ind AS 1 - Non-current Liabilities withCovenants (Removal of Carve-outs)
Starting April 1, 2026, the MCA has removedcertain carve-outs vis-a-vis IAS 1. A breach ofcovenant at the reporting date will require theliability to be classified as current even if a waiveris obtained after the reporting date but before theapproval of financial statements.
The Company has reviewed the amendment andbased on its evaluation has determined that itdoes not have any significant impact of aboveamendments on its financial statements for theyear ended March 31, 2026.
7. USE OF ESTIMATES, ASSUMPTIONS ANDJUDGEMENTS
The preparation of the financial statements requiresmanagement to make judgements, estimates andassumptions that affect the reported amounts ofrevenues, expenses, assets and liabilities, and theaccompanying disclosures including the disclosureof contingent liabilities. Uncertainty about theseassumptions and estimates could result in outcomesthat require an adjustment to the carrying amount ofassets or liabilities in future periods. Difference betweenactual results and estimates are recognised in theperiods in which the results are known / materialise.
The Company has based its assumptions and estimateson parameters available when the financial statementswere prepared. Existing circumstances and assumptionsabout future developments, however, may change dueto market changes or circumstances arising that are
beyond the control of the Company. Such changes are
reflected in the assumptions when they occur.
The company provide for tax considering theapplicable tax regulations and based on reasonableestimates. Management periodically evaluatespositions taken in the tax returns giving dueconsiderations to tax laws and establishesprovisions in the event if required as a result ofdiffering interpretation or due to retrospectiveamendments, if any.
Deferred tax asset (DTA) is recognized only whenand to the extent there is convincing evidence thatthe company will have sufficient taxable profits infuture against which such assets can be utilized.Significant management judgement is required todetermine the amount of deferred tax assets thatcan be recognised, based upon the likely timingand the level of future taxable profits together withfuture tax planning strategies, recent businessperformance and developments.
Minimum alternative tax (MAT) is recognized asan asset only when and to the extent there isconvincing evidence that the Company will paynormal income tax and will be able to utilize suchcredit during the specified period. In the year inwhich the MAT credit becomes eligible to berecognized as an asset, the said asset is createdby way of a credit to the Statement of Profit andloss and is included in Deferred Tax Assets. TheCompany review the same at each Balance Sheetdate and if required, writes down the carryingamount of MAT credit entitlement to the extentthere is no longer convincing evidence to the effectthat Company will be able to absorb such creditduring the specified period. Further details abouttaxes refer note 54 and 55.
The Company's obligation on account of gratuityis determined based on actuarial valuations.An actuarial valuation involves making variousassumptions that may differ from actualdevelopments in the future. These include thedetermination of the discount rate, future salaryincreases, attrition rate and mortality rates. Due
to the complexities involved in the valuation andits long-term nature, these liabilities are highlysensitive to changes in these assumptions.
All assumptions are reviewed at each reportingdate. The parameter subject to frequent changesis the discount rate. In determining the appropriatediscount rate, the management considers theinterest rates of government bonds in currenciesconsistent with the currencies of the post¬employment benefit obligation.
The mortality rate is based on publicly availablemortality tables in India. Those mortality tablestend to change only at interval in response todemographic changes. Future salary increases arebased on expected future inflation rates.
Further details about gratuity obligations are givenin note 52 (A).
For the purpose of measuring the expected creditloss for trade receivables, the Company estimatesirrecoverable amounts based on the ageing ofthe receivable balances and historical experience.Further, a large number of minor receivables aregrouped into homogeneous groups and assessedfor impairment collectively depending on theirsignificance. Individual trade receivables arewritten off when management deems them notto be collectible on assessment of facts andcircumstances. Refer note 15.
The useful life to depreciate or amortise property,plant and equipment and Intangible assetsrespectively is based on technical obsolescence,nature of assets, estimated usage of theassets, operating conditions of the asset, andmanufacturers' warranties, maintenance andsupport period, etc. The charge for the depreciationor amortisation is derived after considering theexpected residual value at end of the useful life.
The residual values, useful lives and methods ofdepreciation or amortisation of property, plant andequipment and Intangible assets respectively arereviewed by the management at each financial year
end and adjusted prospectively over the remaininguseful life.
The Company cannot readily determine the interestrate implicit in the lease, therefore, it uses itsincremental borrowing rate (IBR) to measure leaseliabilities. The IBR is the rate of interest that theCompany would have to pay to borrow over asimilar term, and with a similar security, the fundsnecessary to obtain an asset of a similar valueto the right-of-use asset in a similar economicenvironment. The Company estimates the IBRusing observable inputs (such as market interestrates) when available and is required to makecertain specific estimates such as Company'scredit rating.
Ind AS 116 requires lessees to determine thelease term as the non-cancellable period of a leaseadjusted with any option to extend or terminatethe lease, if the use of such option is reasonably
certain. The Company makes an assessment onthe expected lease term on a lease-by-lease basisand thereby assesses whether it is reasonablycertain that any options to extend or terminatethe contract will be exercised.
Provisions and contingent liabilities are reviewedat each balance sheet date and adjusted toreflect the current best estimates. Evaluationsof uncertain provisions and contingent liabilitiesand assets requires judgement and assumptionsregarding the probability of realization and thetiming and amount, or range of amounts, that mayultimately be incurred. Such estimates may varyfrom the ultimate outcome as a result of differinginterpretations of laws and facts. Refer note 45for details about Contingent liabilities.
The Company uses the interest rate considered byDoT for similar payments as incremental borrowingrate for discounting the liability, as applicable.
*Numbers are below one crore under the rounding off convention adopted by the Company and accordingly not reported.
(1) Capital reserve comprises of capital receipt, received as compensation from an erstwhile Joint Venture partner for failure to subscribein the equity shares of erstwhile Vodafone India Limited (“VInL”) in earlier years, settlement liability created on merger of erstwhile VInLand erstwhile Vodafone Mobile Services Limited (“VMSL”) with the Company and impacts pursuant to merger of Aditya Birla TelecomLimited (“ABTL”) with the Company.
(2) Capital reduction reserve was created by VInL on distribution of VInL’s share in Indus Towers Limited to shareholders of VInL in accordancewith capital reduction scheme. This reserve is not available for distribution as dividend.
(3) The Company has accounted for the merger of VInL and VMSL with the Company under ‘pooling of interest’ method. Consequently,investment of VInL in VMSL, share capital of VInL and VMSL has been cancelled. The difference between the face value of shares issuedby the Company and the value of shares and investment so cancelled has been recognized in Amalgamation Adjustment Deficit Accountof ' (48,840) Cr. Also pursuant to merger of Idea Telesystems Limited (“ITL”) with the Company, share capital of ITL and investment ofthe Company have been cancelled. The difference between equity of ITL and investment of the Company of ' (4) Cr has been recongizedin Amalgamation Adjustment Deficit Account. From utilisation perspective, this is an unrestricted reserve.
(4) Includes ' 139 Cr (March 31, 2025: ' 139 Cr) not available for distribution as dividend.
NOTE 43: SIGNIFICANT TRANSACTIONS / NEW DEVELOPMENTS
i) On October 16, 2023, the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India pronounced a judgement, on an ongoing litigation, regarding the taxtreatment of annual Revenue Share License Fee (RSLF) paid to the DoT since July 1999 and held that it merits the same taxtreatment as the upfront fee that is paid at the time of acquisition of a telecom license. The Company has been treating RSLF asrevenue expenses for the purpose of taxation. This decision does not result in a permanent disallowance but leads to a staggeredallowance of RSLF over the balance period of the license resulting into lower taxable deduction in the initial years of a license anda higher deduction in the later period of the license.
Over the years, the Company has acquired various licenses from the DoT and also acquired companies having telecom licenses andmerged these entities into the Company resulting in cancellation of licenses pertaining to those entities on merger. During financialyear 2023-24, based on initial evaluation and after considering the allowable deductions for the periods and on a best estimatebasis, a tax provision of ' 822 Cr and interest of ' 263 Cr has been recorded under “Current tax” and “Finance costs” respectively,and corresponding effect has been recorded as Current tax liability of ' 522 Cr and adjusted ' 563 Cr in Other Non-Current Assetsin the financial statements in financial year 2023-24. Due to tax losses carried forward, higher deductions in future periods do notmeet the criteria for the recognition of deferred tax assets under Ind AS 12 - Income Taxes. During the previous year, on May 17,2024, the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India pronounced a further judgement in this regard waiving applicable interest. Based onthis judgement, the Company reversed the accrued interest charge of ' 263 Cr under finance cost in financial year 2024-25 andbalance liability of ' 259 Cr is continues to be disclosed as current tax liability as at March 31, 2026.
ii) Further Public Offer (FPO)
On April 23, 2024, the Company had allotted 16,36,36,36,363 equity shares of ' 10 each at an issue price of ' 11 (including apremium of Re.1.00 per equity share) aggregating to ' 18,000 Cr by way of FPO. The issue proceeds have been utilised in accordancewith the issue object(s) stated in offer document.
The below table provides the details of amount utilised out of the FPO proceeds as of March 31, 2026.
iii) The Board of Directors of the Company at its meeting held on January 31, 2023 has re-approved issuance of upto 16,000 optionallyconvertible, unsecured, unrated and unlisted Indian Rupee denominated debentures (OCDs) having a face value of ' 10,00,000each, in one or more tranches, aggregating upto ' 1,600 Cr, each convertible into 1,00,000 equity shares of face value of' 10/- each at a conversion price of ' 10/- to ATC Telecom Infrastructure Private Limited (‘ATC’), a non-promoter of the Company,on a preferential basis. On March 18, 2024, in accordance with the terms of the OCDs, ATC requested the Company for conversionof 14,400 OCDs into 1,44,00,00,000 fully paid-up Equity Shares and accordingly, on March 23, 2024, the Company allotted1,44,00,00,000 equity shares of face value of ' 10/- each at an issue price of ' 10/- per equity share to ATC.
During previous year, on July 11, 2024, ATC requested the Company for conversion of balance 1,600 OCDs into 16,00,00,000fully paid-up Equity Shares and accordingly, on July 12, 2024, the Company allotted 16,00,00,000 equity shares of face value of'10/- each at an issue price of ' 10/- per equity share to ATC. All the outstanding OCDs stand converted in to equity shares.
iv) Preferential issue
a) On May 21, 2024, the Company had allotted 1,39,54,27,034 equity shares of ' 10 each at an issue price of ' 14.87 (includinga premium of ' 4.87 per equity share) aggregating to ' 2,075 Cr on a preferential basis to an existing shareholder entityforming part of the promoter group.
b) On July 18, 2024, and July 19, 2024, the Company had allotted 1,02,70,27,024 equity shares to Nokia Solutions and NetworksIndia Private Limited and 63,37,83,780 equity shares to Ericsson India Private Limited of face value of ' 10 each at an issueprice of ' 14.80 (including a premium of ' 4.80 per equity share) aggregating to ' 2,458 Cr on a preferential basis.
c) On January 9, 2025, the Company had allotted 1,69,32,18,361 equity shares of face value of ' 10 / - each at an issue priceof ' 11.28 (including a premium of ' 1.28 per equity share) aggregating to ' 1,910 Cr on a preferential basis to an existingshareholder entity forming part of the promoter group.
All the above preferential issue proceeds have been utilised in accordance with the issue object(s) as stated in respective offerdocument.
v) The DoT conducted auctions for various spectrum bands which got concluded on June 26, 2024. The Company successfully bid for50 MHz of spectrum (900 MHz, 1800 MHz and 2500 MHz) in 11 circles at a total cost of ' 3,497 Cr. The validity of the spectrumis for a period of 20 years starting from the effective date as per the Frequency Assignment Letter for Respective Service Areas.The Company made the upfront payment of ' 332 Cr and based on the available payment options, the Company opted for theDeferred Payment option for balance amount. During the previous year, the Company capitalised the cost under “Intangible Assets”.
vi) The Government of India has consolidated 29 existing labour legislations into a united framework comprising four Labour Code vizCode on wages 2019, Code on Social Security 2020, Industrial Relation Code 2020, and Occupational Safety, Health and WorkingCondition Code 2020 (collectively referred to as the Labour Codes). These Codes have been made effective from November 21,2025. The labour codes, amongst other things introduces changes, including a uniform definition of wages. The Company hascarried out detailed evaluation and actuarial assessment which has resulted in the financial impact of ' 91 Cr for the year endedMarch 31, 2026, which has been disclosed under “Exceptional Items”.
vii) As at December 31, 2025, assets include amounts recorded as recoverable from the promoters of erstwhile Vodafone India Limited(“VInL”) under the Implementation agreement (IA) executed on March 20, 2017 which was amended as on December 31, 2025.Both parties have agreed to settle such recoverable as follows:
- An amount of ' 2,307 Cr (based on exchange rate as of the date of the Amendment Agreement), will be released by theVodafone Group Promoters over the next 12 months, subject to and in accordance with the terms agreed in the AmendmentAgreement. Of this ' 310 Cr has been received by the Company as of March 31, 2026 and balance of ' 2,074 Cr based onexchange rate as at March 31, 2026 classified as Other current financial assets.
- A portion of the Settlement amount is secured through the earmarking of 328 Cr equity shares of the Company by certainVodafone Group entities for a period of five years. Proceeds from sale of these shares as and when undertaken, at theinstructions of a person authorised / appointed by the Company, will accrue to the Company. The fair market value of suchearmarked shares on March 31, 2026 stands at ' 2,619 Cr (arrived basis closing market price adjusted for transaction andother incidental cost) which has been classified as Other non current financial assets.
- Accordingly, difference of ' 1,468 Cr between the carrying amount of ' 6,394 Cr and fair value of such recoverable assetbasis above settlement mechanism is recognised as loss on remeasurement of settlement assets.
Consequently, certain provisions of ' 2,013 Cr relating to above has been written back and net gain of ' 545 Cr together with losson remeasurement of Settlement assets has been disclosed as “Provision written back net of loss on remeasurement of Settlementasset“ under Exceptional items.
viii) One Time Spectrum Charges (Beyond 4.4 MHz):
During the financial year 2012-13, the DoT had issued demand notices towards one time spectrum charges (hereinafter referred toas “OTSC”). The demands on the Company i.e. formerly Idea Cellular Limited have been challenged by way of writ petition beforethe Bombay High Court (BHC). The erstwhile Vodafone India Limited (VInL) and erstwhile Vodafone Mobile Services Limited (VMSL)had challenged the demands before the TDSAT. The grounds taken before BHC and TDSAT were different though.
On July 4, 2019 TDSAT in its judgement quashed the demands levied on erstwhile VInL and VMSL and inter alia held that:
- For spectrum up to 6.2 MHz, OTSC is not chargeable and accordingly demand set aside.
- For spectrum beyond 6.2 MHz,
• Allotment after July 1, 2008, OTSC shall be levied from the date of allotment of such spectrum.
• Allotment before July 1, 2008, OTSC shall be levied from January 1, 2013 till the date of expiry of license.
• Conditions as stated in para 1 (v) of the impugned order dated December 28, 2012 (given hereunder) is arbitrary and illegaland is accordingly set aside, i.e. Upfront charges in the case of spectrum holding in multiple bands (900 MHz and 1800 MHz),spectrum in 1800 MHz band will be accounted for first, towards the limit of 4.4 MHz was held to be arbitrary and illegal andaccordingly set aside.
Thereafter the erstwhile VInL and VMSL filed an appeal before the Hon’ble Supreme Court against the TDSAT judgement. On March16, 2020, Hon’ble Supreme Court dismissed the Appeal filed by erstwhile VInL and VMSL challenging the levy of OTSC beyond 6.2MHz Thereafter, erstwhile VInL and VMSL filed a Review Petition challenging the dismissal of Appeal. Hon’ble Supreme Court onMay 19, 2022 allowed the Review petition and restored the appeal filed by erstwhile VInL and VMSL. DoT also preferred an appealagainst the entire TDSAT judgement and sought stay on the impugned judgement. The appeals filed by DoT and erstwhile VInL andVMSL are pending before the Hon’ble Supreme Court. The proceedings before the BHC in respect of petition filed by Idea CellularLimited is complete and final order is awaited.
The Company, on prudence basis, recognized a charge for spectrum holding beyond 6.2 MHz in line with the TDSAT order. Theamount has been calculated basis the demand computation that was raised by the DoT in July 2018 for Bank Guarantees to begiven for OTSC in line with the M&A guidelines at the time of merger. The Company has recognised interest cost of ' 1,199 Cr(March 31, 2025: ' 1,040 Cr) in the Statement of Profit and loss. Accordingly, the Company has disclosed Accrual towards OneTime Spectrum Charges of ' 8,780 Cr (March 31, 2025: ' 7,581 Cr) under Other current financial liabilities.
NOTE 44: CAPITAL AND OTHER COMMITMENTS
Estimated amount of commitments are as follows:
• Contracts remaining to be executed for capital expenditure (net of advances) and not provided for are ' 2,147 Cr(March 31, 2025: ' 3,151 Cr).
• Long term contracts remaining to be executed including early termination commitments (if any) are ' 1,884 Cr(March 31, 2025: ' 1,906 Cr).
NOTE 45: CONTINGENT LIABILITIES NOT PROVIDED FORA) Licensing Disputes:
i. OTSC (Less than 4.4 MHz) - ' 3,857 Cr (March 31, 2025: ' 3,857 Cr):
In FY 2015-16 erstwhile VMSL received demands from DoT towards One time spectrum charges for less than 4.4 MHzpursuant to the transfer of licenses of certain subsidiaries amounting to ' 3,350 Cr. The Company believes the charges leviedby DoT are not tenable, since the merger guidelines are not applicable considering that the said merger did not involve anyintra-circle merger and did not result in increase in spectrum holding of the Company. The Demand is challenged and remainssub-judice at TDSAT.
Further, erstwhile VMSL received demand from DoT towards extension of license of Tamil Nadu circle for making it co-terminuswith license of Chennai circle amounting to ' 507 Cr. The Company believes the charges levied by DoT are not tenable,considering the merger of licenses is as per the guidelines issued by DoT in 2005 and as such does not get covered under asper clause 3 (i) and (m) of the M&A guidelines dated February 20, 2014. The Demand is challenged and remains sub-judiceat TDSAT.
ii. Other Licensing Disputes - ' 4,598 Cr (March 31, 2025: ' 10,580 Cr):
a) In line with the Hon’ble Supreme Court order, the DoT has done AGR reassessment exercise for the years FY 2006-07 till FY2018-19. On April 30, 2026, the Company has received communication from the DoT stating that the Committee formedfor the purpose of reassessment has finalized the AGR dues at ' 64,046 Cr as on December 31, 2025. Consequently,AGR demands of ' 5,976 Cr raised post Hon’ble Supreme Court judgement of September 1, 2020, which was disclosedas Contingent Liability as of March 31, 2025, is no longer considered as Contingent Liability as of March 31, 2026. (refernote 3).
b) On September 29, 2021, DoT had issued demand notice for imposition of financial penalty amounting to ' 2,000 Cr forviolation of the provisions of license agreements and standards of Quality of service of basic telephone service (wireline)and SMTS regulation 2009. On October 11, 2021, The Company has filed petition before the Hon’ble TDSAT challengingthe demand raised by DoT. In the recent hearing, interim relief has been granted stating no coercive action shall be takenfor realisation of penalty under challenge. The matter is pending adjudication.
c) Disputes relating to alleged non-compliance of licensing conditions & other disputes with DoT (including those towardsCAF Audit and EMF), either filed by or against the Company or pending before Hon’ble Supreme Court / TDSAT. Thematter is pending with Hon’ble Supreme Court / TDSAT.
d) Demands on account of alleged violations in license conditions relating to amalgamation of erstwhile Spice CommunicationsLimited currently sub-judice before the Hon’ble TDSAT. The matter is pending adjudication.
e) Demand with respect to upfront spectrum amounts for continuation of services from February 2, 2012 till various datesin the service areas where the licenses were quashed following the Hon’ble Supreme Court Order. The matter is pendingadjudication.
In October 2015, DoT issued guidelines, wherein Microwave Spectrum held by expired / expiring licenses was declared as beingheld on a provisional basis subject to final outcome of DoT’s decision on recommendation by TRAI on the allocation and pricing ofMicrowave Spectrum. The guidelines issued by DoT are not in line with the understanding provided during the earlier auctions aspart of Notice Inviting Application (NIA) for the spectrum auction. Basis the guidelines, DoT has instructed the Company to providean undertaking that the pricing and allocation decisions of DoT would be considered final in this respect. The Company has notprovided the said undertaking or signed the agreement being against the express and binding confirmations under NIA. FurtherTDSAT vide its order dated March 13, 2019 set aside the Impugned guidelines and stated 2006 rates hold to be valid, which shouldbe applied from future date as and when notified by DoT as per the judgement . Both DoT and Company challenged the TDSATjudgement dated March 13, 2019 before the Supreme Court. The Hon’ble Supreme Court vide its order dated November 8, 2019stayed the TDSAT judgement and directed the Company to furnish bank guarantee till the next date of hearing. VIL complied withthe court directives and submitted bank guarantee with DoT.
i. Income Tax Matters
- Appeals filed against the demands raised by the Income Tax. Authorities relates to disputes on not allowing full deductionunder section 80IA due to other income on account of rent, interest and other similar income and determination of initialassessment year.
ii. Sales Tax and Entertainment Tax
- Sales Tax demands mainly relates to the demands raised by the VAT / Sales Tax authorities of few states on SIM cardsetc. on which the Company has already paid Service Tax.
- In one state entertainment tax is being demanded on revenue from value added services.
iii. Service Tax / Goods and Service Tax (GST)
- Disallowance of Cenvat Credit on input services viewed as ineligible credit
- Demand of service tax on SMS termination charges
- Demand of service tax on reversal of input credit on various matters
- Disallowance of carry forward of transitional credit of Cenvat & Cess, disallowances of input tax credit on ineligible items.
- Demand of GST on revenue difference between returns and Financial Statements.
iv. Entry Tax and Customs
- Entry Tax disputes pertains to classification / valuation of goods.
- Demand of customs duty / anti-dumping duty on dispute relating to classification issue. The Company has challengedthese demands which are pending at various forums.
v. Other claims not acknowledged as debts
- Mainly include consumer forum cases, disputed matters with local Municipal Corporation, Regional Provident FundCommission and other miscellaneous sub-judiced disputes.
- Disputes with the Electricity Boards on matters relating classification of Mobility Towers into Industrial v/s commercial.
C. The Company has provided a Corporate Guarantee to the Debenture Trustee with respect to Non-Convertible Debentures (NCDs)
aggregating to ' 3,300 Cr issued by Vodafone Idea Telecom Infrastructure Limited (VITIL), a subsidiary of the Company. The liabilityof the Company in relation to payment of VITIL’s obligations under the NCDs, which has been guaranteed by it under the CorporateGuarantee shall be to the extent of outstanding NCDs. The outstanding payable balance of these NCDs as at March 31, 2026 is' 3,415 Cr (including interest) in the books of VITIL (March 31, 2025: ' Nil).
The future cash outflows in respect of the above matters are determinable only on receipt of judgements / decisions from suchforums / authorities. Further, based on the Company’s evaluation, it believes that it is not probable that the claims will materialiseand therefore, no provision has been recognised for the above.
NOTE 51: SHARE BASED PAYMENTS
Employee stock option plan - options granted by Vodafone Idea Limited
The Company has granted stock options and restricted stock units (RSU’s) under ESOS 2013 to the eligible employees of the Companyand its subsidiaries (“Group”) from time to time. These options, subject to fulfilment of vesting conditions, would vest in 4 equal annualinstalments after one year of the grant and the RSU’s will vest after 3 years from the date of grant. The maximum period for exercise ofoptions and RSU’s is 5 years from the date of vesting. Each option and RSU when exercised would be converted into one fully paid-upequity share of ' 10 each of the Company. The options and RSUs granted under the ESOS 2013 scheme carry no rights to dividendsand no voting rights till the date of exercise.
The fair value of the share options is estimated at the grant date using Black and Scholes Model, taking into account the terms andconditions upon which the share options were granted.
There were no modifications to the options / RSU’s during the year ended March 31, 2026 and March 31, 2025. During the year, unvestedoptions expired. In the current year, ' -* Cr (March 31, 2025: ' -* Cr) is adjusted against Retained earnings in respect of cancellation/ expiration of vested stock option.
NOTE 52: EMPLOYEE BENEFITSA. Defined Benefit Plan (Gratuity)
General description and benefits of the plan
The Company operates a defined benefit gratuity plan through a trust which requires the Company to contribute to the separatelyadministered fund. The gratuity benefits payable to the employees are based on the employee’s length of service and last drawnwages at the time of leaving. The benefit is payable on termination of service or retirement, whichever is earlier. The employeesdo not contribute towards this plan and the full cost of providing these benefits are borne by the Company.
Regulatory framework, funding arrangement and governance of the Plan
The gratuity plan is governed by the Code of social security 2020 (‘the code’). The trustees of the gratuity fund have a fiduciaryresponsibility to act according to the provisions of the trust deed and rules. Since the fund is income tax approved, the Companyand the trustees have to ensure that they are at all times fully compliant with the relevant provisions of the income tax act andrules. The Company is bound to pay the statutory minimum gratuity as prescribed under the code. There are no minimum fundingrequirements for a gratuity plan in India. The Company’s philosophy is to fund the benefits based on its own liquidity and tax positionas well as level of underfunding of the plan vis-a-vis settlements. The trustees of the trust are responsible for the overall governanceof the plan. The trustees of the plan have outsourced the investment management of the fund to insurance companies which inturn manage these funds as per the mandate provided to them by the trustees and applicable insurance and other regulations.
Inherent risks
The plan is of a defined benefit in nature which is funded by the Company and hence it underwrites all the risks pertaining tothe plan. In particular, there is a risk for the Company that any significant change in salary growth or demographic experience orinadequate returns on underlying plan assets can result in an increase in cost of providing these benefits to employees in future.
Note:
(i) As at March 31, 2025, the Company had settlement assets (net) amounting to ' 6,394 Cr based on implementation agreementof May 31, 2018, which was amended as on December 31, 2025 and settled as detailed in note 43(vii).
(ii) With respect to options that have already exercised there is an outstanding liability of ' 147 Cr payable to entities having significantinfluence (March 31, 2025: ' 130 Cr).
(iii) The Company has provided a Corporate Guarantee to the Debenture Trustee with respect to Non-Convertible Debentures (NCDs)aggregating to ' 3,300 Cr issued by Vodafone Idea Telecom Infrastructure Limited (VITIL). The liability of the Company in relationto payment of VITIL’s obligations under the NCDs, which has been guaranteed by it under the Corporate Guarantee shall be tothe extent of outstanding NCDs. The outstanding payable balance of these NCDs as at March 31, 2026 is ' 3,415 Cr (includinginterest) in the books of VITIL (March 31, 2025: ' Nil).
forming part of the Standalone Financial Statements
Government of India (‘GoI’) holds 49% equity shareholding in the Company as at March 31, 2026 (22.60 % as at March 31, 2025)(refer note 4). The Company has certain obligations arising from the telecom license taken from the Department of Telecommunication(‘DoT’) which is a Ministry of GoI towards license fees, spectrum usage charges, acquisition of spectrum and related Deferred Paymentliability and interest thereon.
C) Valuation Technique used to determine fair value:
Investments traded in active markets are determined by reference to quotes from the financial institutions; for example: Net assetvalue (NAV) for investments in mutual funds declared by mutual fund house.
The fair value of the financial assets and liabilities is included at the amount at which the instrument could be exchanged in acurrent transaction between knowledgeable and willing parties, other than in a forced or liquidation sale. The valuation techniquesused to determine the fair values of financial assets and financial liabilities classified as level 2 include use of quoted market pricesor dealer quotes for similar instruments and generally accepted pricing models based on a discounted cash flow analysis usingrates currently available for debt on similar terms, credit risk and remaining maturities.
NOTE 60: FINANCIAL RISK MANAGEMENT OBJECTIVES AND POLICIES
The Company’s principal financial liabilities comprise of borrowings including Deferred Payment obligation towards spectrum and AGR,lease liabilities, trade and other payables. The main purpose of these financial liabilities is to finance and support the Company’s operations.The Company’s principal financial assets comprise of current investments, cash and bank balance, trade and other receivables. TheCompany also enters into derivative transactions, whenever needed, such as foreign forward exchange contracts as a part of Company’sfinancial risk management policies. It is the Company’s policy that no trading in derivatives for speculative purposes may be undertaken.
The Company is exposed to various financial risks such as market risk, credit risk and liquidity risk. The Company’s senior managementcomprising of a team of qualified finance professionals with appropriate skills and experience oversees management of these risks andprovides assurance to the management that financial risks are identified, measured and managed in accordance with the Company’spolicies and risk objectives. All derivative activity for risk management purposes are carried by specialist team having appropriate skillsand experience. The risks and measures to mitigate such risks is reviewed by the committee of Board of Directors periodically.
Market risk
Market risk is the risk that the fair value of future cash flows of a financial instrument will fluctuate because of changes in market prices.Market risk comprises three types of risk: interest rate risk, currency risk and other price risk. Financial instruments affected by marketrisk include borrowings, bank deposits, current investments and derivative financial instruments.
The sensitivity of the relevant profit or loss item reflects the effect of the assumed changes in respective market risks, factors basedon the financial assets and financial liabilities held at March 31, 2026 and March 31, 2025.
a) Interest rate risk
Interest rate risk is the risk that the fair value or future cash flows of a financial instrument will fluctuate because of changes inmarket interest rates. The Company’s exposure to the risk of changes in market interest rates relates primarily to the Company’slong-term borrowing with floating interest rates.
The Company manages its interest rate risk by having a balanced portfolio of fixed and floating rate loans from banks & others. Asat March 31, 2026, approximately 99.42% of the Company’s borrowings are at a fixed rate of interest (March 31, 2025: 98.76%).
b) Foreign currency risk
Foreign currency risk is the risk that the fair value or future cash flows of an exposure will fluctuate because of changes in foreign exchangerates. The Company’s exposure to the risk of changes in foreign exchange rates relates primarily to the Company’s operating activities(when revenue or expense is denominated in a foreign currency), payables for capital expenditure denominated in foreign currency.
The Company’s foreign currency risks are identified, measured and managed at periodic intervals in accordance with the Company’spolicies.
When a derivative contract is entered into for the purpose of hedging any foreign currency exposure, the Company negotiates theterms of those derivatives contracts to match the terms of the hedged exposure. The Company has major foreign currency risk inUSD, EURO and GBP.
The Company has not hedged its foreign currency trade payables and other financial liabilities in USD, EURO and GBP.
Foreign currency sensitivity
The following tables demonstrate the sensitivity to a reasonably possible change in foreign currency rates, with all other variablesheld constant. The impact on the Company’s profit / (loss) before tax is due to changes in the fair value of monetary assets andliabilities including non-designated foreign currency derivatives. The Company’s exposure to foreign currency changes for all othercurrencies other than USD, EURO and GBP is not material.
c) Price risk
The Company invests its surplus funds in various debt mutual funds. These comprise of mainly overnight liquid schemes of mutualfunds (overnight liquid investments).
Mutual fund investments are susceptible to market price risk, mainly arising from changes in the interest rates or market yieldswhich may impact the return and value of such investments. However due to the very short tenor of the underlying portfolio in theliquid schemes, these do not pose any significant price risk.
Further, the Company has receivables in form of earmarked shares from Vodafone Group promoters (as referred in note 43(vii)),the value of which is linked to the market price of equity shares of the Company. Accordingly, the Group is exposed to fluctuationsin the market price, which may impact the carrying value of such receivables.
d) Credit risk
Credit risk is the risk that counterparty will not meet its obligations under a financial instrument or customer contract, leading to afinancial loss. The Company is exposed to credit risk from its operating activities (primarily trade and other receivables) and fromits financing activities, including deposits with banks, foreign exchange transactions and other financial instruments.
- Trade receivables
Customer credit risk is managed in accordance with the Company’s established policy, procedures and controls relating tocustomer credit risk management. Trade receivables are non-interest bearing and are generally on 15 to 30 days’ credit terms.Outstanding customer receivables are regularly monitored.
The Company follows a ‘simplified approach’ (i.e. based on lifetime Expected credit losses (ECL)) for recognition of impairmentloss allowance on Trade receivables. A large number of minor receivables are grouped into homogeneous groups and assessedfor impairment collectively. For the purpose of measuring lifetime ECL allowance for trade receivables, the Company estimatesirrecoverable amounts based on the ageing of the receivable balances and historical experience. The Company, based on pasttrends, recognizes allowance for trade receivables: a) for retail subscribers (net of security deposit) remaining unpaid beyond90 / 120 days from date of billing and b) for other trade receivables on account of Interconnect, Roaming, Fixed line Voiceand data service etc. remaining unpaid beyond 180 / 365 days. Further, allowance is also recognised for cases indicatingany specific trail of credit loss within the ageing brackets mentioned above. Individual trade receivables are written off whenmanagement deems them not to be collectible. Any subsequent recovery is recognized as Income in the Statement of Profitand Loss. Refer Note 15 for the carrying amount of credit exposure as on the Balance Sheet date.
- Other financial assets and cash deposits
Credit risk from balances with banks is managed by the Company’s treasury department. Investments of surplus funds aremade only with approved counterparties and within credit limits assigned to each counter party. Counterparty credit limitsare reviewed by the Company’s Treasury Department periodically, and may be updated throughout the year. The limits areintended to minimise the concentration of risks and therefore mitigate financial loss through counterparty’s potential failureto make payments.
The Company’s maximum exposure to credit risk for the components of the balance sheet as at March 31, 2026 and March 31,2025 on its carrying amounts as disclosed in notes 11, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 and 19 except for derivative financial instruments. TheCompany’s maximum exposure relating to financial derivative instrument is noted in liquidity table below note 60 (e).
e) Liquidity risk
Liquidity risk is the risk that the Company may not be able to meet its present and future cash and collateral obligations withoutincurring unacceptable losses. The Company’s objective is to, at all times maintain optimum levels of liquidity to meet its cashand collateral requirements. The Company monitors its risk of a shortage of funds using a liquidity planning tool.
The Company’s objective is to maintain a balance between continuity of funding and flexibility through the use of bank overdrafts,bank loans. As at March 31, 2026, approximately 2.62% of the Company’s debt excluding interest will mature in less than one year(March 31, 2025: 6.58%) based on the carrying value of borrowings reflected in the financial statements.
Based on recent developments with respect to AGR matter as mentioned in Note 3 above, the Company is confident of generatingsufficient cash flow from operations to meet its obligations including lenders, spectrum and AGR dues payable over the next 12months as and when they fall due.
The table below summarizes the maturity profile of the Company’s financial liabilities based on contractual undiscounted payments:
NOTE 61: CAPITAL MANAGEMENT
For the purpose of the Company’s capital management, capital includes issued equity capital, securities premium and all other equityreserves attributable to the equity holders. The primary objective of the Company’s capital management is to maximise the value ofshareholders.
The Company manages its capital structure and makes adjustments in light of changes in economic conditions. The Company monitorscapital using the net debt-equity ratio, which is net debt divided by total equity.
NOTE 63
The Company uses accounting software for maintaining its books of account which has a feature of recording audit trail (edit log) facilityand the same has operated throughout the year for all relevant transactions recorded in the accounting software.
The Company also uses certain other peripheral software applications that support the recording of revenue, related subscriber acquisitioncosts, and vendor invoice validation, wherein, the audit trail feature is fully enabled through the year at application and at database levelfor all transactions except for one peripheral software application, for which audit trail is not enabled at Application level & databaselevel and two other peripheral softwares, for which audit trail is not enabled at database level. Further, there are no instances of audittrail feature being tampered with. Additionally, the audit trail has been preserved as per the statutory requirements for record retentionin respect of software where the audit trail is enabled.
Further, the Company uses software applications which are operated by third-party software service providers, for processing the payrolland for roaming revenue accounting. The Company has obtained the Service Organisation Controls (“SOC”) report from the payrollservice provider covering audit trail feature at application and at database level. However, the Company is in process of obtaining revisedSOC report from roaming revenue accounting service provider covering audit trail feature.
NOTE 64: SUBSEQUENT EVENT
The Board of Directors of the Company, at its meeting held on May 16, 2026, have approved issuance of upto 430 Cr warrants (eachconvertible into one equity share) to Suryaja Investments Pte. Ltd., (an Aditya Birla Group entity and Promoter Group Company), at anissue price of ' 11/- per warrant, aggregating upto ' 4,730 Cr on a preferential basis (“Preferential Issue”), subject to approval of theshareholders at the Extraordinary General Meeting to be held on June 11, 2026.