Bharti Airtel Limited Receives Penalty Notice from Department of Telecommunications
Bharti Airtel Limited announced it received a notice from the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) for the Jammu and Kashmir Licensed Service Area (LSA) regarding alleged violations of subscriber verification norms. The notice, received on March 25, 2026, at 1748 Hrs. IST, imposes a penalty of Rs. 1,00,000.According to the DoT, Bharti Airtel Limited is required to adhere to licensing terms and conditions regarding customer verification and compliance with instructions issued by the DoT. A Customer Application Form Audit (CAF Audit) conducted for Quarter 3 of the fiscal year 2025-26 revealed alleged violations.
The company estimates the maximum financial impact related to the penalty to be limited to the levied amount. Bharti Airtel Limited has stated it disagrees with the notice and intends to take action to rectify or reverse the decision.
| Sl. No. | Particular | Information/Remarks |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Name of the authority | The Department of Telecommunications, Jammu and Kashmir LSA ('DoT') |
| 2 | Nature and details of the action(s) taken or order(s) passed, including penalty imposed | Notice imposing a penalty of Rs. 1,00,000 for alleged violation of subscriber verification norms. |
| 3 | Date of receipt of direction or order, including any ad-interim or interim orders, or any other communication from the authority | March 25, 2026 at IST 1748 Hrs. |
| 4 | Brief summary of the material contents of the communication received, including reasons for receipt of the communication | In terms of License agreement, the Company is required to ensure adequate verification of customers before enrolling them as subscribers and comply with the instructions issued by DoT in this regard. DoT conducts periodic Customer Application Form Audit ('CAF Audit') to confirm compliance with the aforesaid licensing terms and conditions. |
| 5 | Details of the violation(s)/ contravention(s) committed or alleged to be committed and period for which it is applicable | Accordingly, DoT conducted sample CAF Audit for Quarter 3, 2025-26 and has alleged violation of terms and conditions with respect to the subscriber verification norms under the License Agreement. |
| 6 | Impact on financial, operation or other activities of the listed entity, quantifiable in monetary terms to the extent possible | The maximum financial impact/implication is to the extent of the penalty levied. |
| 7 | Action(s) taken by listed company with respect to the communication | The Company does not agree with the Notice and will take appropriate action(s) for rectification / reversal of the same. |
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