Relief for Airtel, Vodafone, Tata Tele as Supreme Court grants tax credit on infra items

New Delhi: In a significant victory for telecom companies, the Supreme Court on Wednesday ruled in favour of Bharti Airtel and other operators, allowing them to claim central value-added tax or Cenvat credits on duties paid for key infrastructure items like tower components, shelters, and other related materials.

This decision overturned a 2014 ruling by the Bombay high court, which had classified these items as non-capital goods, and thereby denied telecom companies the ability to claim the credit.