Sunil Bharti Mittal said Eutelsat OneWeb applied for approval five years ago and has its ground network ready, but is still awaiting permission to launch services in India.
Elon Musk accused unnamed business interests of trying to block Starlink, which has received an initial licence but still needs spectrum assignment and other clearances.
The Centre rejected allegations of regulatory bias, saying satellite operators must meet the prescribed requirements, while naming Starlink, Jio Satellite Communications and OneWeb as licence holders.
'I Applied Five Years Back’: Sunil Mittal Takes A Dig At Starlink, Says OneWeb Still Awaits Govt's Nod
Sunil Bharti Mittal says OneWeb has been waiting for India’s approval for five years, as Elon Musk’s Starlink faces pending regulatory clearances and a public row over alleged barriers to its entry
Summary
Bharti Enterprises chairman Sunil Bharti Mittal has said Eutelsat OneWeb is ahead of Elon Musk’s Starlink in the race for regulatory approvals to provide satellite communication services in India, claiming that the company applied five years ago but is still awaiting the government’s permission to begin operations.
Speaking at the Bloomberg New Economy Forum 2026, Mittal said OneWeb had its ground network ready for three years, while its satellites had been operating over India for five years.
“I think I am significantly ahead in the queue from him. I applied five years back,” Mittal said, referring to Musk’s Starlink.
“I have had my ground network ready for the last three years. My satellites have been hovering over India for the last five years. We don't have the permission. So, we will be very happy to get it at least a few days before him,” he added.
Starlink has received an initial licence to provide satellite communication services in India. It still requires the remaining clearances, including spectrum assignment and other regulatory and security approvals, before it can begin commercial operations.
Musk Alleges Attempts To Block Starlink
Earlier this month, Musk accused unnamed “oligarchs” of attempting to block Starlink to protect their market dominance. He said the company had spent years complying with Indian regulations but had yet to begin commercial operations.
“Is Ambani the real boss of India?” Musk wrote on X, referring to Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi joined the exchange, writing, “Welcome to India, Elon. Wait till you discover the other guy.”
Musk replied, “Thank you, Rahul. This is indeed troubling.”
Musk later referred to Ambani as “Prime Minister Ambani” and shared reports on X about donations linked to Reliance and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Centre Rejects Allegations Of Regulatory Bias
The Ministry of Communications rejected Musk’s allegations, describing claims that India’s regulatory framework or its application was unfair or discriminatory as “baseless and misconceived”.
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The government has maintained that satellite communication operators must comply with the same regulatory requirements before launching services in India.
Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia reiterated the government’s position at the recent India Mobile Congress, saying India did not permit monopolies in any sector and that the Department of Telecommunications remained technology-agnostic.
“Our job is to be able to provide the bouquet of services to every single customer. It is for the customer to choose in a free market which service he or she prefers, and within that service bouquet, which company's service he or she prefers,” Scindia said.
Scindia named three companies that have secured satellite communication licences, Musk’s Starlink, Reliance Jio’s satellite venture Jio Satellite Communications, and Bharti-backed Eutelsat OneWeb.
Amazon’s Project Kuiper has also expressed interest in entering the Indian market. It will have to follow the prescribed regulatory process before launching services.
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