Kumar Mangalam Birla ready to give up Vodafone-Idea stake to govt entity

PTI4_19_2011_000011A

New Delhi: Kumar Mangalam Birla, the chairman of Aditya Birla Group, has written to the Cabinet Secretary saying that he is ready to hand over his stake in Vodafone-Idea to any government entity.

In a letter to Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba on June 7, Birla said that, with a "sense of duty" towards 27 crore Indians connected with Vodafone Idea, Birla is willing to hand over his stake to public Sector Unit (PSU), a government entity or any domestic financial entity, or any other entity that the government may consider worthy of keeping the company as a going concern.

Birla said that VIL has been trying to raise Rs 25,000 crore to sustain VIL operations and pay regulatory and governmental dues.

He said that foreign investors wanted to see a clear government intent to have a three-player telecom market.

In the letter, Birla sought clarity on adjusted gross revenue (AGR), adequate moratorium on spectrum dues and floor pricing adding that without immediate and active government support VIL's operations will be at an "irretrievable point of collapse".

He also said that investors have also sought clarity on these issues.

Birla said that he and his team would be more than happy to work with the government to urgently explore all possible options to save the company and without any consideration to our private interest, Birla said.

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