The Indian government does not intend to delay the planned 3G auction past the January deadline, despite requests from multiple operators to do so.
A Department of Telecom (DoT) director has told Reuters that the government will stick to its schedule, which will see the auction conclude by January 15.
According to India's Economic Times, at least four operators, including Vodafone's Indian subsidiary, have asked the government to postpone the auctions.
Vodafone has cited the global economic crisis as the reason for its request.
The government intends to auction just three licenses, so competition is expected to be fierce. But India's cash-strapped operators may have difficulty raising the required capital by the time bidding begins in December.