Telecom operator Bharti Airtel on Friday said it had paid ₹15,519 crore to the government towards prepayment of its entire deferred liability pertaining to spectrum acquired in the 2014 auction.
The company had acquired 128.4 MHz spectrum (including Telenor spectrum) for ₹19,051 crore in the 2014 auction, the company said in a statement.
The carrier estimated that the prepayment to Department of Telecom (DoT) would likely result in interest-cost savings of at least ₹3,400 crore over the residual life for fully substituted capital.
“These liabilities were due in annual instalments from FY2026-2027 to 2031-2032, and carried an interest rate of 10% (the highest rate among the deferred liabilities and borrowings) and an average residual life of 7-plus years,” Bharti said in a statement.
It said it continued to exercise flexibilities towards a stronger and efficient capital structure.
