Vi may shut shop on delays in fundraising, tariff hike: Kotak

Vodafone Idea or Vi stares at a bleak future, including the possibility of "shutting shop" due to factors triggered by heightened competition, a domestic brokerage said on Monday. It also expects telecom companies to start hiking tariffs only after general elections in June 2024 as inflation stays above RBI's upper tolerance level.

In the absence of the price hikes, Vi will not be able to keep up with the investments required and launch 5G services, which will lead to an erosion of subscribers and make the planned capital raising exercise difficult, the report by Kotak Institutional Equities said. The long-feared prospect of a "duopoly", with only Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel remaining in the fray, is likely to play out, the report said.