Ericsson had originally acquired a 0.9% stake in Vodafone Idea in June 2024
In sum – what you need to know:
Ericsson quits Vodafone Idea – Ericsson India sold its remaining 0.6% stake in Vodafone Idea, raising INR4.28 billion ($49.9 million) via share sales on the National Stock Exchange.
Government diluted stake – Ericsson’s original 0.9% stake, acquired in June 2024, was diluted in March 2025 after the Indian government increased its holding to nearly 49%.
Follows Nokia’s earlier exit – The move echoes Nokia India’s decision to divest its 0.95% stake in Vodafone Idea last month.
Ericsson’s Indian arm has reportedly sold its remaining 0.6% stake in Indian telco Vodafone Idea (Vi), raising a total of INR4.28 billion ($49.9 million). Citing data from the National Stock Exchange of India, ETTelecom reported that Ericsson India sold approximately 633.7 million shares at INR6.76 per share. The buyers have not been publicly identified.
The Swedish vendor had originally acquired a 0.9% stake in Vodafone Idea in June 2024 for INR9.38 billion, as part of the telco’s broader fundraising effort to support network upgrades and settle outstanding dues, including those owed to Ericsson.
However, the vendor’s stake was reduced to 0.6% in March 2025 after the Indian government increased its ownership in the telco from 22.6% to 48.99%, further diluting existing shareholders.
Ericsson’s exit follows a similar move by Nokia’s Indian subsidiary, which sold its 0.95% stake in Vodafone Idea last month. Nokia Solutions and Networks India sold its holding for INR7.85 billion (approximately $92 million) to a consortium of global investment banks. Among the buyers was Goldman Sachs, which reportedly acquired a 0.55% stake in the Indian telco.
Nokia had originally acquired a 1.5% stake in Vodafone Idea in June 2024—equivalent to 1.03 billion shares. Like Ericsson, Nokia’s stake was diluted in March 2025 when the Indian government significantly increased its ownership in the company.
Vodafone Idea, which is a joint venture between the U.K.’s Vodafone Group and India’s Aditya Birla Group, recently announced plans to roll out 5G services across all 17 of its priority telecom circles in India by August this year. The company also confirmed that its commercial 5G services went live in the Delhi region on May 15.
Since March, Vodafone Idea has introduced 5G services for consumers in Mumbai, Chandigarh and Patna. The operator has stated that its investments in expansion and upgrades will be concentrated in 17 of India’s 22 telecom circles, including key areas such as Mumbai, Delhi, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, and both East and West Uttar Pradesh.
For the Delhi deployment, Vodafone Idea has partnered with Swedish vendor Ericsson to build the 5G infrastructure, which includes more energy-efficient and lightweight hardware. The telco also highlighted the use of AI-driven self-organizing network (SON) technology to boost network efficiency. Its 5G deployment is based on a non-standalone (NSA) 5G architecture.
The telco launched its commercial 5G services in Mumbai in March, about two and a half years after rival telcos Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio Infocomm.
Vodafone Idea recently told investors that launching 5G services later than its competitors has helped the company use newer technology and save costs. The carrier noted this delay allowed it to strategically adopt advanced Disaggregated Radio Access Network (RAN) systems, which improve operational efficiency, offer new capabilities, and significantly reduce network deployment and maintenance expenses.
Vodafone Idea, the third-largest private telecom operator in India, also aims to reach at least 90% of India’s population with 4G coverage by June 2025, compared to current 77%. As part of its revival plan, Vodafone Idea had previously raised fresh funds to improve 4G coverage and roll out 5G to prevent further subscriber losses.
