'My satellites have been hovering for 5 years, I'm ahead of Musk in the queue,' says Sunil Bharti Mittal
Starlink has already received a Global Mobile Personal Communication Satellite (GMCPS) licence and authorisation from Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre (IN-SPACe).
- Oct 14, 2026,
- Updated Oct 14, 2026 2:28 PM IST
Sunil Bharti Mittal, founder and chairman of Bharti Enterprises, on Wednesday launched a stinging attack on Elon Musk over his tweet on Starlink launch in India being delayed as the satellite internet service awaits final security clearances and spectrum allocation from the Government of India.
Starlink has already received a Global Mobile Personal Communication Satellite (GMCPS) licence and authorisation from Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre (IN-SPACe). It, however, is yet to receive the remaining security clearances and spectrum allocation needed to begin commercial operations.
While speaking at the Bloomberg New Economy Forum, Mittal said that he applied for permission around 5 years ago. The Bharti Enterprises founder added that he would be happy to get the permission at least a few days before Musk.
Sunil Bharti Mittal said, "We are all awaiting our approvals. I am significantly ahead of him in the queue. I applied five years back. 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."
OneWeb's ground networks have been ready for the past 3 years. Mittal has invested in Starlink's closest rival, OneWeb, which is part of Paris-based Eutelsat Group. In 2022, Ambani-led Reliance Jio formed a joint venture with Luxembourg-based SES SA to deliver very affordable high-speed internet via medium-earth orbit satellites.
MUST READ | 'Every Indian home will have a broadband connection': Akash Ambani on Jio satellite broadband
Musk's tirade over delayed India launch
While seeking an opportunity for Starlink to compete in India, Musk addressed Reliance Industries (RIL) chairman Mukesh Ambani as "Prime Minister Ambani" in a series of posts.
"Please accept my humble apologies for not realizing that you are the real boss of India,” Musk wrote in a post on October 9. Sharpening his attack at the Reliance chairman, the world's first and only trillionaire said that Ambani would naturally prefer to maintain a monopolistic hold over India's internet sector but asked whether he would nevertheless consider opening the market to competition.
DO CHECKOUT | How Elon Musk's Starlink could interfere with sovereign nations. Ukraine war reveals the risks
Making his case for Starlink's entry in India, Musk said, "There are many areas of India, as there are in all countries, with no Internet access, which denies children the opportunity for education and for small businesses the opportunity to sell their goods to a global market. Starlink would change their lives for the better."
In another post, he said that Starlink's satellite-based connectivity has proven to be significant in saving lives during natural disasters worldwide when all other communication systems have failed. He further said, “So you would also be helping save men, women and children throughout India."
DON'T MISS | Elon Musk calls Mukesh Ambani 'real boss of India', amid push for Starlink in India
Meanwhile, New Delhi has maintained that India does not allow monopoly in any sector. Communication Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said that 3 companies - Starlink, Jio Satellite Communications and Eutelsat OneWeb - have secured satcom licenses. Speaking at the 10th Edition of the India Mobile Congress 2026, Scindia said that the government would assign spectrum to the companies on a revenue-sharing basis once the framework was decided.
The Ministry of Communications also rejected Musk's allegations of discrimination, stating tacitly that the 3 companies were undergoing security assessments under the same regulatory framework.
Sunil Bharti Mittal, founder and chairman of Bharti Enterprises, on Wednesday launched a stinging attack on Elon Musk over his tweet on Starlink launch in India being delayed as the satellite internet service awaits final security clearances and spectrum allocation from the Government of India.
Starlink has already received a Global Mobile Personal Communication Satellite (GMCPS) licence and authorisation from Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre (IN-SPACe). It, however, is yet to receive the remaining security clearances and spectrum allocation needed to begin commercial operations.
While speaking at the Bloomberg New Economy Forum, Mittal said that he applied for permission around 5 years ago. The Bharti Enterprises founder added that he would be happy to get the permission at least a few days before Musk.
Sunil Bharti Mittal said, "We are all awaiting our approvals. I am significantly ahead of him in the queue. I applied five years back. 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."
OneWeb's ground networks have been ready for the past 3 years. Mittal has invested in Starlink's closest rival, OneWeb, which is part of Paris-based Eutelsat Group. In 2022, Ambani-led Reliance Jio formed a joint venture with Luxembourg-based SES SA to deliver very affordable high-speed internet via medium-earth orbit satellites.
MUST READ | 'Every Indian home will have a broadband connection': Akash Ambani on Jio satellite broadband
Musk's tirade over delayed India launch
While seeking an opportunity for Starlink to compete in India, Musk addressed Reliance Industries (RIL) chairman Mukesh Ambani as "Prime Minister Ambani" in a series of posts.
"Please accept my humble apologies for not realizing that you are the real boss of India,” Musk wrote in a post on October 9. Sharpening his attack at the Reliance chairman, the world's first and only trillionaire said that Ambani would naturally prefer to maintain a monopolistic hold over India's internet sector but asked whether he would nevertheless consider opening the market to competition.
DO CHECKOUT | How Elon Musk's Starlink could interfere with sovereign nations. Ukraine war reveals the risks
Making his case for Starlink's entry in India, Musk said, "There are many areas of India, as there are in all countries, with no Internet access, which denies children the opportunity for education and for small businesses the opportunity to sell their goods to a global market. Starlink would change their lives for the better."
In another post, he said that Starlink's satellite-based connectivity has proven to be significant in saving lives during natural disasters worldwide when all other communication systems have failed. He further said, “So you would also be helping save men, women and children throughout India."
DON'T MISS | Elon Musk calls Mukesh Ambani 'real boss of India', amid push for Starlink in India
Meanwhile, New Delhi has maintained that India does not allow monopoly in any sector. Communication Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said that 3 companies - Starlink, Jio Satellite Communications and Eutelsat OneWeb - have secured satcom licenses. Speaking at the 10th Edition of the India Mobile Congress 2026, Scindia said that the government would assign spectrum to the companies on a revenue-sharing basis once the framework was decided.
The Ministry of Communications also rejected Musk's allegations of discrimination, stating tacitly that the 3 companies were undergoing security assessments under the same regulatory framework.