New Delhi, April 24 -- Bharti Airtel Ltd, India's second-largest telecom operator, has urged the department of telecommunications (DoT) to convert its adjusted gross revenue (AGR) dues into equity, two people with knowledge of the matter said.

The company owes the government about Rs.52,000 crore towards spectrum dues and Rs.40,000 crore in terms of adjusted gross revenue (AGR) dues. In the telecom sector, there are certain regulatory payments that an operator has to make to the government for licence, etc., as a percentage of their AGR. Spectrum purchase payment is additional.

The proposal is largely to convert about Rs.40,000 crore in AGR dues into equity. At Thursday's closing share price of Rs.1,846 on the National Stock Exchange, t...