The Supreme Courtroom on June eleven requested telecom majors like Vodafone Strategy and Bharti Airtel to file affidavits within just 5 days outlining the roadmap of how they would pay out the modified gross income (AGR) dues if a staggered payment possibility is approved by the apex court.
The SC bench, headed by Justice Arun Mishra, and comprising S Abdul Nazeer and M R Shah, was listening to the petition submitted by the Office of Telecommunication (DoT) in search of relief by way of 20-12 months staggered payment for the telcos’ dues together with a waiver of curiosity and penalty.
The monetarily distressed Vodafone Strategy has paid Rs six,854 crore of its dues, of the Rs 58,254 crore-demand elevated by the DoT. The company’s individual assessment, however, pegs the dues at Rs 21,533 crore.
ALSO Study: SC asks Airtel, Vodafone Strategy for street map on payment of AGR dues
Meanwhile, Bharti Airtel has paid Rs eighteen,004 crore so much as in opposition to the DoT’s demands of Rs 43,980 crore. The enterprise estimates its dues at Rs thirteen,004 crore.
The future listening to is on June eighteen.
Here’s how brokerages interpret the buy:
ICICI Securities
The SC judgment has been primarily destructive in the AGR instances, together with this. The only fantastic final result is that SC did not reject the rescue program, but elevated specified challenging queries these as: one) SC felt the proposed 20 decades was unreasonable, and two) requested assures for exceptional payment.
Telcos can technically argue that 20 decades is realistic as it is the identical interval as their licenses / spectrum suitable-of-use. Our operating displays the annual payment for Bharti and Vodafone Strategy in circumstance of sum pending to be payable in 5 decades is Rs six,five hundred crore and Rs 12,900 crore in circumstance of 10 decades, it is Rs 3,900 crore and Rs seven,seven-hundred crore and in circumstance of fifteen decades, it is Rs 3,000 crore and Rs six,000 crore, respectively. Anything at all fewer than fifteen decades would drastically curtail the capacity of VIL to meet these obligations.
While Bharti Airtel can give bank assures as it is now sitting on a huge money equilibrium, Vodafone Idea’s council indicated SC on its incapability to give assures. Nonetheless, delivering added bank ensure will come with increased price tag. SC has also sought if directors of these organizations can give individual assures / undertakings and/or any other securities for payment dues. We see very low likelihood of individual endeavor by directors for AGR dues.
ALSO Study: SC’s AGR observations a setback for Voda Strategy others could survive
Edelweiss Securities
Soon after a couple stern orders directing telcos to deposit the whole AGR-connected dues promptly, the Supreme Courtroom (SC) nowadays lent an ear to the authorities and to telcos’ demand for a deferred payment possibility.
We consider deferred payment about 15–20 decades is essential to sustaining a a few-non-public-player industry. Contemplating the SC has manufactured a comment on the probability of individual assures by directors, the nature of security suitable in opposition to dues could come to be a contentious challenge. We consider telco promoters are unlikely to hand out individual assures as an alternative, accepting terms these as licence cancellation, no dividend/buyback until repayment, and so on glimpse additional possible. All stated and performed, today’s buy is a milestone in the resolution of a longstanding challenge, and likely to retain India a a few-non-public player telecom industry
Motilal Oswal Financial Products and services
In the party that the apex court grants a 20-12 months staggered possibility program to the incumbents to pay out their AGR dues, protecting the net existing value (NPV) of the equilibrium AGR dues at an 8 for every cent curiosity rate, this would final result in money outgo of Rs 27b/Rs 52b for every annum for BHARTI/VIL about a 20-12 months interval. Contemplating VIL’s liquidity constraints, it requirements a ~50 for every cent ARPU improve to realize EBITDA of Rs 300b by FY22E. This is to bridge the hole of Rs 128b EBITDA in FY22 in opposition to money need of a) Rs 165b in deferred spectrum liabilities, b) Rs 52b in annual AGR payment, c) Rs 30b in money curiosity price tag to creditors, and d) capex of almost Rs 52b. This is assuming there is no more subscriber churn, which also appears to be unlikely specified the weak community capacity and destructive client sentiment.