Bharti Airtel prepays Rs 15,519 crore to clear 2014 spectrum dues

Move to help company save up to Rs 3,400 crore in interest expenses

Bharti Airtel has prepaid its entire liability of Rs 15,519 crore from its 2014 acquisition of 128.4 MHz spectrum. The move will help the company save around Rs 3,400 crore in interest expenses.

Airtel had purchased 128.4 MHz spectrum for Rs 19,051 crore in the 2014 auction. This includes the spectrum that it secured following the acquisition of service provider Telenor in 2018.

In a stock exchange notification on Friday the company said these liabilities were due in annual installments from FY 2026-2027 to FY 2031-2032. They carried an interest rate of 10 per cent (the highest rate among the deferred liabilities