Bharti Airtel Chairman Sunil Bharti Mittal on Wednesday said his satellite communications venture Eutelsat OneWeb was significantly ahead of Elon Musk's Starlink in the queue to launch services in India, adding a fresh twist to a public dispute over regulatory approvals and competition in the country's satellite internet market.
Meanwhile, government sources, responding to the controversy surrounding Starlink and Musk's recent claims, said any company operating in India must comply with the law of the land and added that the Centre's position has been clear and consistent throughout.
"Government's position has been very clear, and was so even at the time they had applied, that if you don't follow Indian laws, you cannot do business here...So to do business here you have to follow Indian laws," sources said.
At the Bloomberg New Economy Forum 2026, Mittal said his satcom venture Eutelsat OneWeb is significantly ahead of Elon Musk's Starlink in the satcom queue in India, having applied five years ago, and added that he would be happy to receive the go-ahead at least a few days before the US tech billionaire.
"I think I am significantly ahead in the queue from him. I applied five years back," Mittal said at the Bloomberg New Economy Forum 2026. "We don't have the permission, so we'll be very happy to get it at least a few days before him."
Mittal said OneWeb's ground network has been ready for three years, and its satellites have been hovering over India for five years, but the company is still awaiting permission to begin commercial operations.
His remarks come after Musk, the world's richest man, accused powerful business interests of blocking Starlink's entry into India. In a series of posts on social media platform X last week, Musk took aim at Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani, sarcastically addressing him as "Prime Minister Ambani" and questioning whether he wielded greater influence over India's decisions than Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Musk has alleged that some business groups are seeking to preserve a "monopolistic chokehold" on Indian consumers. However, the Ministry of Communications has rejected the charge, describing suggestions that the regulatory framework or its application was unfair or discriminatory as "baseless and misconceived".
The government said satellite operators must meet the same regulatory requirements, including security conditions and spectrum allocation rules, before they can begin commercial services.
Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said last week that three ventures -- Musk's Starlink, Reliance's Jio Satcom and Bharti-backed Eutelsat OneWeb -- had secured satellite communications licences. Amazon's Project Kuiper has expressed interest but must follow the established procedure, he said.
Scindia had said spectrum would be assigned once the government finalised a revenue-based charging framework and individual operators fulfilled security requirements. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) and the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) were close to a decision on satellite spectrum pricing, he added.
The distinction between a licence and operational approval is central to the dispute: securing a licence does not automatically allow a company to begin commercial services. Spectrum assignment and the fulfilment of security conditions remain key steps.
The dispute comes at a consequential time for Reliance, which is preparing for the planned initial public offering of Jio Platforms, its digital services business. The proposed offering -- the biggest so far in India -- is expected to open on October 21 and values the company at about USD 106 billion.
Reliance is also developing its satellite ambitions, including a proposed constellation of about 1,600 low-earth-orbit satellites aimed at extending internet connectivity to 600,000 villages. That would put Jio in more direct competition with Starlink, which is seeking access to a vast market where satellite broadband could serve remote communities and locations poorly covered by terrestrial networks.
Ironically, Reliance and SpaceX last year signed an agreement to explore ways of bringing Starlink services to Indian customers through Jio's retail network.
Reliance's Jio has already reported 524 million customers and extensive distribution capabilities, giving it a significant advantage in reaching consumers. Starlink, by contrast, would need to establish its customer base and operating model in India while meeting local requirements.