Vodafone Idea hit with Rs 638 crore GST demand and penalty by CGST Ahmedabad

Debt-laden telecom operator Vodafone Idea Ltd has received an order from the Office of the Additional Commissioner, Central Goods and Services Tax, Ahmedabad South, confirming a tax demand and penalty amounting to Rs 638 crore, the company informed exchanges on Thursday, according to news reports.

The order, passed under Section 74 of the Central Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017, includes the demand for tax along with applicable interest and penalty. The action relates to allegations of short payment of tax and excess availment of input tax credit, as per the regulatory disclosure.

Vodafone Idea stated that it received the order on December 31, 2025. The company informed that the maximum financial impact would be to the extent of the tax demand, interest and penalty levied. It added that it does not agree with the order and will take appropriate legal action against it, as reported by CNBC-TV18.

Separately, Vodafone Idea reported that its consolidated net loss narrowed year-on-year to Rs 5,524 crore in the second quarter ended September 2025, compared with a net loss of Rs 7,175.9 crore in the corresponding quarter of the previous year.

Consolidated revenue from operations rose 2.4 per cent to Rs 11,195 crore during the reported quarter from Rs 10,932.2 crore a year earlier.

The company stated that average revenue per user increased 8.7 per cent year-on-year to RS 180 in the reported quarter from Rs 166, driven largely by customer upgrades and tariff hikes. Total debt stood at Rs 2,02,951 crore at the end of the quarter.

Shares of Vodafone Idea Ltd closed at Rs 11.63 on the BSE, up Rs 0.87, or 8.09 per cent, at the end of trade.