Sunil Mittal hopes OneWeb gets govt approval before Musk’s Starlink

Bharti Airtel Chairman Sunil Bharti Mittal said on Wednesday (October 14) that he hoped to receive approval for his satellite internet venture, Eutelsat OneWeb, a few days before Elon Musk’s Starlink, citing the five years since his company applied for a licence in India.

Mittal says OneWeb applied five years ago

Speaking at the Bloomberg New Economy Forum 2026, Mittal said, "I think I am significantly ahead in the queue from him. I applied five years back." He was responding to questions about Musk’s criticism of Indian telecom companies amid the debate over satellite internet services.

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Mittal said OneWeb’s ground network had been ready for three years, while the satellites had been over India for five years. The company has yet to receive permission to launch services. "We don't have the permission, so we'll be very happy to get it at least a few days before him," he said.

What Musk alleged

Musk recently alleged on X that certain oligarchs were trying to block Starlink to maintain a "monopolistic chokehold" on Indian consumers. The Ministry of Communications rejected the allegation a day later, describing claims of unfair or discriminatory treatment under India’s regulatory framework as "baseless and misconceived". Musk subsequently asked on X whether Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani was "the real boss of India."

Scindia says India does not permit monopolies

Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said last week that India did not permit monopolies in any sector. Speaking at a briefing during the India Mobile Congress, he said the Department of Telecommunications followed a technology-neutral approach and allowed consumers to choose their preferred service and provider.

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Scindia said three companies, Starlink, Reliance Jio’s satellite venture Jio Satcom and Bharti-backed Eutelsat OneWeb, had secured satellite communication licences. Amazon’s Project Kuiper has expressed interest and must complete the prescribed process.

Satellite spectrum pricing decision awaited

"We are very clear on our stand. There are three parties that have got a licence; as and when the government decides the charge system on the revenue basis, that spectrum will be assigned to them, and as and when they individually fulfil the security conditions, they can start operations," the minister had said.

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) and the Department of Telecommunications are nearing a decision on satellite spectrum pricing, Scindia said.

(With agency inputs)