Sunil Mittal Says OneWeb Should Receive India Satellite Internet Approval Before Starlink
NEW DELHI — Bharti Enterprises Chairman Sunil Bharti Mittal said Wednesday that Eutelsat OneWeb should receive regulatory approval to launch satellite broadband services in India ahead of Elon Musk’s Starlink, arguing that OneWeb submitted its application nearly five years ago.
Speaking at the Bloomberg New Economy Forum 2026 in New Delhi, Mittal said OneWeb has already made substantial investments in infrastructure and satellite deployment but continues to await the final regulatory clearances needed to begin commercial operations.
“As I have already said, we are awaiting our approvals. I believe we are significantly ahead of him in the queue because we applied five years ago,” Mittal said, referring to Musk.
Mittal noted that OneWeb’s ground infrastructure has been ready for three years, while its satellites have been positioned over India for approximately five years.
“Our ground networks have been ready for the past three years, and our satellites have been hovering over India for the past five years. We still do not have the necessary permission, so we would be very happy to receive it, even a few days before him,” he added.
His comments come amid a public dispute over regulatory approvals for satellite internet operators seeking to enter the Indian market.
Over the past week, Musk has accused certain Indian businesses of attempting to obstruct Starlink’s plans to introduce satellite broadband services in the country.
The Indian government has rejected allegations that its approval process favors particular companies.
The Ministry of Communications recently said that all satellite communication providers are being evaluated under a fair and nondiscriminatory regulatory framework.
“At present, all the three entities are at broadly the same regulatory stage. As such, the suggestion that the framework or its application is unfair or discriminatory is baseless and misconceived,” the ministry said.
Eutelsat OneWeb India, officially registered as OneWeb India Communications Private Limited, is preparing to offer commercial satellite broadband services using a network of low Earth orbit satellites.
The company operates under Eutelsat Group, which was created through the merger of France-based Eutelsat and UK-backed OneWeb.
Bharti Enterprises is a major shareholder in the combined company, giving Mittal’s business group a significant stake in OneWeb’s expansion in India.
The competition between OneWeb and Starlink comes as satellite internet providers seek to expand connectivity across India, particularly in remote and underserved areas where traditional broadband infrastructure remains limited.
Despite OneWeb’s earlier application and infrastructure investments, the Indian government maintains that the companies seeking approval are at broadly similar stages of the regulatory process. (Source: IANS)
