Government to acquire Vodafone Idea stake after share firms up at Rs 10

The government will acquire a stake in debt-ridden Vodafone Idea after the stock price of the company stabilises at Rs 10 or above, according to an official source.

Vodafone Idea (VIL) board has offered a stake to the government at a par value of Rs 10 per share. "There is a SEBI norm that the acquisition should take place at par value. DoT will clear the acquisition after VIL shares stabilise at Rs 10 or above," an official source told PTI.

VIL shares are trading below Rs 10 since April 19. The stock declined by 1.02 per cent to trade at Rs 9.68 on BSE on Thursday. The finance ministry had cleared the proposal to acquire stake in VIL in July.

Debt-ridden Vodafone Idea (VIL) has decided to opt for converting about Rs 16,000 crore of interest liability payable to the government into equity which will amount to around 33 per cent stake in the company while promoters' holding will come down from 74.99 per cent to 50 per cent. The government has given telecom operators an option of paying the interest for four years of deferment on the deferred spectrum instalments and AGR (adjusted gross revenue) dues by way of conversion into equity of the NPV of such interest amount.