
News Analysis
Airtel board clears $3-bn fundraising via QIP, other means, to
pay AGR dues
Leading telecom operator Bharti Airtel on Wednesday announced a $3-billion
fund raising, including through qualified institutional placement (QIPs), mainly to
pay dues linked to the adjusted gross revenue (AGR) as directed by the Supreme
Court (SC) recently. The company board has given its approval to raise up to $2
billion through one or more QIP, public or private offerings of equity shares and
compulsory convertible debentures etc. The board has also okayed raising $1
billion through foreign debt instruments and another $1 billion via “issuance of
unsecured and/or secured, listed and/or unlisted, redeemable non-convertible
debentures (NCDs) along with warrants or other similar security denominated in
Indian national rupee or combination thereof in one or more tranches”, according
to a regulatory filing.
The company has clarified that apart from $2 billion through QIP, the overall
issuance (through a combination of foreign debt instruments and redeemable
NCDs and warrants etc) for now shall be up to $1 billion, making it a total of $3-
billion fund raising. The telco’s fund raising plans come at a time when it is staring
at a substantial pay out of around Rs 43,000 crore to the Centre towards AGR
dues. Airtel had reported a net loss of Rs 23,044 crore for the quarter ended
September 30, on the back of an AGR provision of Rs 28,450 crore.
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