Bharti Airtel repays debt worth Rs 6,796 cr

Telecom major Bharti Airtel has clears Rs 6,796 crore (Rs 67.96 billion), or over 10 per cent, of its debt by using the equivalent sum of amount it received by selling five per cent stake to Qatar Foundation Endowment last month.

The company said in a statement on Monday ‘it has retired equivalent debt from the proceeds (Rs 6,796 crore) of the preferential allotment in June 2013 of 5 per cent equity shares in Bharti Airtel at the rate of Rs 340 per share to Qatar Foundation Endowment’.

Bharti Airtel had reported a net debt of Rs 63,839.5 crore (Rs 638.39 billion) as on March 31, 2013.

"This significant debt reduction will result in an improvement in the capital structure and balance sheet leverage for the Company," Airtel said.

Last month, Bharti had issued 199,870,006 new equity shares, representing five per cent equity stake in the company, to Qatar Foundation Endowment for a total consideration of Rs 6,796 crore (Rs 67.96 billion).