India, March 26 -- Bharti Airtel and its subsidiary Bharti Hexacom have paid an additional Rs 5,985 crore to the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), fully settling spectrum liabilities with an 8.65% interest rate tied to the 2024 auction. In parallel, Network i2i Ltd., another group subsidiary, has voluntarily exercised a call option to redeem USD 1 billion in perpetual debt notes issued in FY 2020.

These steps mark a continuation of Airtel's focused effort to reduce its high-cost debt and strengthen its capital structure. In the ongoing financial year alone, the company has prepaid Rs 25,981 crore in high-interest spectrum dues. Cumulatively, Airtel has now prepaid Rs 66,665 crore of spectrum liabilities as of March 2025.

"Undersco...