Sunil Mittal takes on Elon Musk, says Bharti is ahead of Starlink, ready to launch

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”.

Also Read | Swadeshi Jagaran Manch demands ban on Elon Musks Starlink, says 'significant threat to national security'

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. Bharti was ahead in the approval queue compared with Starlink, according to Mittal.

According to Reuters, Elon Musk’s Starlink was waiting for a commercial licence from 2022. In June 2025, the company got approval from India's telecom ministry to launch.

The following month, the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe) granted the company a five-year commercial operations licence.

Sunil Mittal described India's preparations for satellite connectivity as being at an advanced stage. Once approvals are in place, Bharti could extend its services across the country.

This would include places that conventional networks struggle to reach. Mittal highlighted Bharti's satellite services in Africa, launched alongside a global partner.

He called for low taxes on digital goods and telecom services. Lower taxes would help digital technology support economic growth, he said. Mittal stressed that digital infrastructure plays an important role in strengthening the economy.

Sunil Mittal also called for early action on artificial intelligence rules. AI was developing faster than governments could prepare regulations, according to Mittal. India was preparing a consultation paper on rules or safeguards for its use.

Mittal highlighted concerns that AI agents could act beyond their intended controls. Such warnings should be taken seriously by governments, he said. People were already using AI as agents became more widespread.

“Every day, the news flow starts to come in from the very founders of the technology, saying, ‘We now have a fear that our agents may run rogue’. That's not something that we can take lightly, or a country can take lightly,” he said.

“Are we going to wake up only when an accident happens, or do we do it before?” he questioned.

He urged policymakers to start thinking about regulations. Rules should protect countries without unnecessarily stifling innovation or growth.

In a separate comment, he said that reducing dependence on China would be difficult. Many industries rely on Chinese raw materials and components.

"Everybody is very happy that China produces high quality at low cost," he said.

He illustrated this with a $100 billion trade deficit with China. Cutting that gap to $50 billion would be difficult because Chinese supplies support several sectors.

Sounak Mukhopadhyay covers trending news, sports and entertainment for LiveMint. His reporting focuses on fast-moving stories, box office performance, digital culture and major cricket developments. He combines real-time updates with clear context for everyday readers. <br><br> Sounak brings newsroom experience across breaking news, explainers and long-form features. He has a strong emphasis on accuracy, verification and responsible storytelling. His work tracks audience behaviour, celebrity influence and the business of sport and cinema. He helps readers understand why a story matters beyond the headline. <br><br> Sounak has contributed to widely read digital publications. He continues to build a body of journalism shaped by consistency, speed and editorial clarity. He is particularly interested in the intersection of media, popular culture and public conversation in contemporary India. <br><br> At LiveMint, he writes daily coverage as well as analytical pieces that interpret numbers, trends and cultural moments in accessible language. His approach prioritises factual depth, balanced framing and reader trust. The reporting aligns with modern newsroom standards of transparency and credibility. <br><br> Outside daily reporting, he explores storytelling across formats including podcasts, filmmaking and narrative non-fiction. Through his journalism, Sounak aims to document the rhythms of modern entertainment and sports while maintaining rigorous editorial integrity. <br><br> Sounak continues to develop audience-focused journalism that connects speed with substance in a rapidly-changing information environment. His work seeks clarity, trust and lasting public value in every story he reports.

Get Latest real-time updates

Catch all the Business News , Corporate news , Breaking News Events and Latest News Updates on Live Mint. Download The Mint News App to get Daily Market Updates.

✕

Wait for it…

Oops! Looks like you have exceeded the limit to bookmark the image. Remove some to bookmark this image.