MUMBAI, Feb 28 (Reuters) - The Indian government expectsrevenue of 428.66 billion rupees ($6.95 billion) from thetelecoms sector, including from auctions of its airwaves,during the next fiscal year to March 2016, the annual budgetshowed on Saturday.
The government has yet to give details on the spectrumauctions to be held during the next fiscal year. The estimatesinclude revenue from the annual fees telecoms carriers pay tothe government.
Bidding is set to begin next Wednesday for India's latestround of spectrum auctions, from which government expects toraise more than $13 billion. The government expects to raise$3.5 billion of that during the current fiscal year that ends inMarch.
Revenue from the sale of its telecoms airwaves is crucialfor the government to meet its ambitious fiscal deficit targets.India's Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has targeted lowering thefiscal deficit to 3 percent of gross domestic product within 3years, from 4.1 percent set for this fiscal year. ($1 = 61.6489 Indian rupees) (Reporting by Aman Shah, editing by Louise Heavens)
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