Vodafone Idea

Vodafone Idea (d/b/a Vi, pronounced /ˈviː/ ^ⓘ and stylized as V!) is an Indian telecommunications company, headquartered in Gandhinagar. It is an all-India integrated GSM operator offering mobile telephony services.

As of 2025, Vi has a subscriber base of 127.78 million, making it third largest mobile telecommunications network in India and 12th largest mobile telecommunications network in the world.

Vodafone Idea was created on 31 August 2018 by the merger of Vodafone India and Idea Cellular. On 20 September 2020, the two separate brands Vodafone India and Idea Cellular rebranded as Vodafone Idea (Vi).

In March 2017, it was announced that Vodafone India and Idea Cellular would merge. The merger got approval from the Department of Telecommunications in July 2018. On 30 August 2018, National Company Law Tribunal gave the final nod to the Vodafone-Idea merger. It was completed on 31 August 2018, and the new entity was named Vodafone Idea. Under the terms of the deal, the Vodafone held a 45.2% stake in the combined entity, the Aditya Birla Group held 26% and the remaining shares were to be held by the public.

Vodafone Idea lost a significant number of gross and active subscribers in the month of August 2020.

Until 7 September 2020, Vodafone Idea operated two separate brands: Vodafone India and Idea Cellular who both operated pre-paid and post-paid GSM service.

On 3 February 2023, the Government of India ordered the company to convert its interest dues worth 161.33 billion Indian Rupees ($1.96 billion) to equity at the rate of 10 rupees per share face value (well over then market value ~8.5), thus making the government the single biggest shareholder in the company.

In March 2025, the Government of India further raised its stake to 48.99% by acquiring additional shares worth ₹36,950 crore ($4.5 billion).