Sunil Mittal takes on Elon Musk, says Bharti is ahead of Starlink, ready to launch
Sunil Bharti Mittal of Bharti Enterprises claims his company is ahead of Starlink in the Indian satellite approval queue. He defended Indian telecom companies against Elon Musk's accusations of monopolistic behavior, emphasizing that Bharti has been ready to launch for years.
Why it matters
The dispute underscores the high-stakes competition for the emerging satellite internet market in India between global tech giants and local telecom leaders.
Sunil Bharti Mittal says Bharti is ahead of Starlink in India's satellite approval queue. The founder and chairman of Bharti Enterprises said his group was ready to launch satellite connectivity. However, it still awaits security clearances before it can start services in India.Sunil Mittal spoke at the Bloomberg New Economy Forum. He was responding to questions about Elon Musk's remarks targeting India's telecom billionaires. Those remarks concerned Starlink's plans to enter the Indian market.Musk said his satellite internet service had been “blocked by certain oligarchs” from entering the Indian market. He said that India's telecom billionaires were protecting the “monopolistic chokehold on the Indian people”.Mittal said Bharti had applied for the required approvals five years ago. Its ground network had been ready for three years, he added.He also said the company's satellites had been positioned over India for five years.
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