The board of Bharti Infratel is set to meet on Wednesday to discuss the merger with Indus Towers.

It may be recalled that June 24 is the long-stop date for the proposed merger. The board may decide whether to go ahead with the merger now or postpone till there is greater clarity on the telecom (AGR) dues that Bharti Airtel needs to pay.

The principal shareholders, Bharti Group and Vodafone, have chosen a share-swap arrangement instead of the original plan, under which Bharti Infratel was to acquire Vodafone Idea’s entire 11.15 per cent stake in the tower firm for about Rs 4,500 crore in cash. Under the new plan, which was one of the options in the scheme of arrangement, Vodafone Idea and Providence Equity Partners, an investor in Indus Towers, will be issued fresh shares in the merged entity.

The telecom infrastructure company had on June 13 rescheduled its board meeting, which was slated to be held on that day to take final call on the merger with Indus Towers

“Certain inputs that would have been required by the board for it to deliberate and take a final decision have been delayed given the current environment,” the company had said.

It added that the board meeting has been “rescheduled for a later date but definitely on or before the current long stop date of June 24”.