Sunil Mittal Says OneWeb Should Get India Approval Before Starlink, Cites Five-Year Head Start

Bharti Enterprises founder and chairman Sunil Bharti Mittal has called for Eutelsat OneWeb to receive regulatory approval for satellite broadband services in India ahead of Elon Musk-led Starlink, arguing that his company entered the approval process nearly five years ago and has been waiting despite completing substantial preparations.

Speaking at a panel discussion during the Bloomberg New Economy Forum 2026 in New Delhi on Wednesday, Mittal said OneWeb’s ground network infrastructure had been ready for three years, while its satellites had been positioned over India for approximately five years.

Mittal said the company was still awaiting the necessary clearances and believed it was considerably ahead in the regulatory queue because of the time elapsed since its application.

He added that OneWeb would welcome approval even a few days before Starlink, given its earlier entry into the process and the preparations already completed for its Indian operations.

The remarks come amid a public dispute over Starlink’s proposed entry into India’s satellite broadband market. Over the past week, Musk used social media platform X to allege that certain Indian businesses were obstructing the company’s plans to launch services in the country.

The Union Ministry of Communications has rejected allegations that satellite communication operators are being treated unfairly or that any company is receiving preferential treatment.

In its response to Musk’s claims, the ministry said all three entities were broadly at the same regulatory stage, describing allegations that the approval framework or its implementation was unfair or discriminatory as baseless and misconceived.

OneWeb India, legally registered as OneWeb India Communications Private Limited, is preparing to introduce commercial satellite broadband services in India. The company operates through low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite technology, which enables connectivity using satellites orbiting relatively close to Earth.

It is part of the Eutelsat Group, formed through the merger of France-based Eutelsat and the UK-backed OneWeb. Bharti Enterprises is among the major shareholders in the combined group, giving Mittal’s business a significant stake in OneWeb’s Indian operations.

The competing claims over the approval process come as satellite-based internet services emerge as a potential addition to India’s broadband market, with regulatory clearances remaining a key requirement for commercial operations.