Bharti Airtel chairman Sunil Mittal says he is significantly ahead of Elon Musk’s satellite communications venture in India’s satellite communications (satcom) approval queue, adding that he would be “very happy” if approvals for Eutelsat OneWeb come at least a few days before Musk.
Mittal made the remarks at the Bloomberg New Economy Forum 2026, saying he applied for relevant authorisations around five years ago and that his company’s satellites have been “hovering” over India during that period. He also frames the comment as part of a broader reality that multiple firms are awaiting regulatory decisions, not a personal competition alone.
Different outlets highlight separate angles: India Today and Times of India emphasize Airtel taking a dig at Musk and positioning itself ahead of Starlink, while NDTV and Bloomberg focus on Mittal’s timing claim and his explanation that the approval process involves many applicants. The comments come amid ongoing public debate in India about satellite internet services and the role of telecom and satcom players.
