iWorld
MTNL dials into debt: telecom giant defaults on Rs 8,346 crore in bank loans
MUMBAI: A telecom Goliath has tripped on its own cables. Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited (MTNL) has rung the wrong number with its bankers. The state-owned telco has officially defaulted on a jaw-dropping Rs 8,346 crore worth of loans—putting the “broke” in “dial tone broke”.
While the rest of the world streams 4K videos and binge-watches on blazing fast connections, MTNL seems to be buffering… financially.
On 19 April, MTNL told the bourses that it has failed to cough up both the principal and interest on loans taken from not one, not two, but seven state-run banks. Talk about spreading the love—and the liability.
The missed payments include overdue interest worth Rs 551.90 crore and unpaid principal of Rs 1,635.39 crore. In total, it owes Rs 8,346.24 crore to the likes of Union Bank of India, Bank of India, Punjab National Bank, State Bank of India, UCO Bank, Punjab & Sind Bank, and Indian Overseas Bank. Every bank gets a slice of the default pie.
The financial plot thickened with MTNL’s relationship with Union Bank of India turning sour on 12 August 2024, where a hefty Rs 3,334.57 crore in principal remained unpaid, and Rs 298.85 crore in interest hung in the air.
Things didn’t improve—by 4 September 2024, Bank of India found itself on the default roster too, owed Rs 999.54 crore in principal and Rs 77.80 crore in interest.
A few days later, on 9 September, Punjab National Bank’s dues followed suit, with Rs 432.16 crore in principal and Rs 32.10 crore interest unpaid.
Come 28 September, State Bank of India and UCO Bank were both ghosted by MTNL, left with mounting dues and no callbacks. Then, on 8 October, Punjab & Sind Bank got stood up.
Eventually, Indian Overseas Bank met the same fate on 3 February 2025, sealing MTNL’s full-blown debt drama.
The situation isn’t just a few late EMIs. MTNL’s total financial baggage weighs in at a staggering Rs 33,568 crore, including Rs 8,346 crore in bank loans, Rs 24,071 crore in sovereign-guaranteed bonds, and a Rs 1,151 crore loan from the Department of Telecommunications just to pay interest on those bonds.
That’s like borrowing money to pay the interest on money you borrowed to pay interest.
Shakespeare would call this tragedy.
Accountants call it Thursday.
Despite this financial sinkhole, the company has maintained a straight face in its compliance filing with the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) and the National Stock Exchange (NSE), stating only that it’s defaulted, and here’s the Excel sheet to prove it. Bureaucratic honesty, if nothing else.
The question now is: what next? Will the Department of Telecommunications come riding in with a fresh bailout cheque and a stern frown? Or is MTNL setting the stage for another round of disinvestment drama?
For now, shareholders are left listening to static, and taxpayers are once again left wondering whether the “public” in public sector means “publicly funded bailouts” on loop.
iWorld
Applause Entertainment partners with Story TV for premium microdramas
Collaboration to produce and adapt content for mobile-first audiences starting 2026.
MUMBAI: Applause Entertainment just shrunk the drama screen because when stories fit in your pocket, even the biggest plots feel like a quick binge. Applause Entertainment, the Aditya Birla Group-backed content powerhouse behind hits like Black Warrant, The Hunt, Criminal Justice and Scam 1992: The Harshad Mehta Story, has entered an exclusive partnership with Story TV, India’s leading microdrama platform, to create a slate of premium short-form series for mobile-first viewers.
Under the agreement, the two companies will co-produce new-age microdramas across multiple genres. Story TV will also acquire rights to Applause’s romantic-thriller series Hello Mini and adapt it into a vertical microdrama format.
Story TV, which launched in July 2025, has quickly become a dominant player in the microdrama space with a library exceeding 1000 titles in romance, thriller, action and family drama across Hindi, Tamil and Telugu. The platform ranks as the second most downloaded entertainment app worldwide, according to Sensor Tower data.
Story TV founder and CEO Saurabh Pandey said, “As an early entrant into microdramas in India we are at the forefront of blending storytelling and technology to expand this emerging format into mainstream territory. Our partnership with Applause Entertainment will further expand the audience of microdramas with a focus on premium storytelling that is yet to be seen in the Indian entertainment industry.”
Applause Entertainment chief business officer Prasoon Garg added, “At Applause, our focus has always been on building strong stories across formats. As newer storytelling formats like microdramas gain momentum, we see value in engaging with them through meaningful collaborations. Our unique partnership with Story TV enables us to explore this emerging space alongside a platform that has demonstrated strong understanding of the format and its audiences.”
The tie-up positions both companies to capitalise on the rapid rise of bite-sized, vertical content tailored for smartphone consumption, where attention spans are short and global reach is instant.
In a screen-sized world where stories now race against the scroll, Applause and Story TV aren’t just making microdramas, they’re proving that the smallest screen can still deliver the biggest emotional punch, one vertical episode at a time.
