The development follows a meeting between Vodafone Idea CEO Abhijit Kishore and BSNL Chairman and Managing Director Robert J. Ravi on Tuesday, sources said.
Shares of Vodafone Idea Ltd. slipped 0.66% on Wednesday, August 26, snapping a two-day winning streak after a strong rally in the previous session. The stock touched a fresh 52-week high of ₹15.37 before slipping to a low of ₹15.02 during the morning session.
Despite Wednesday’s decline, the stock has gained around 15% over the past 30 days and is trading just 1.82% below its 52-week high. It has surged nearly 134% from its 52-week low of ₹6.46.
The stock has closed in the green in six of the last 10 sessions, with its biggest single-day gain of 11% recorded on January 30, 2026.
Under the proposed arrangement, the two companies are expected to enter into both intra-circle and inter-circle roaming agreements, allowing their subscribers to access each other’s networks across different service areas.
The companies are also expected to share network infrastructure, including telecom towers and optical fibre, as part of the broader arrangement.
Vi could gain additional revenue from BSNL users
The network-sharing arrangement could provide Vodafone Idea with additional revenue from BSNL subscribers using its network, particularly in areas where BSNL has limited network coverage.
For BSNL, the arrangement could help expand its reach in rural and other areas through access to Vodafone Idea’s network.
The two companies already have an intra-circle roaming arrangement in Delhi and Mumbai, under which BSNL subscribers can use Vodafone Idea’s network on a revenue-sharing basis. The Department of Telecommunications had said earlier this month that BSNL and Vodafone Idea were discussing deeper infrastructure sharing, including for 4G and 5G services.
BSNL had also leased around 1,441 towers to Vodafone Idea as of April 2026, according to the Department of Telecommunications.
Vodafone Idea did not respond to CNBC Awaaz’s queries on the latest development.
The broader discussions between the two telecom operators come as Vodafone Idea works to expand its network while managing capital requirements, and BSNL seeks to make greater use of infrastructure sharing to reduce costs and generate additional revenue.
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