Sunil Mittal: Bharti Ahead of Starlink in India Approval Queue
Bharti Enterprises Chairman Sunil Mittal claims his group is ahead of Elon Musk's Starlink in the regulatory queue for satellite services in India.
Sunil Bharti Mittal, the Founder and Chairman of Bharti Enterprises, has declared that his group holds a significant advantage over Elon Musk’s Starlink in the race for satellite connectivity in India. Speaking at the Bloomberg New Economy Forum, Mittal revealed that Bharti is "significantly ahead of the queue" in securing the necessary regulatory clearances to launch its satellite services.
Years of Preparation for Satellite Services
Mittal emphasized that Bharti Enterprises has been preparing for this technological leap for a considerable period. While competitors are just entering the fray, Mittal noted that his company has been waiting for regulatory clearance for several years. According to the telecom veteran, the infrastructure is already in place to transform connectivity across the nation.
The scale of Bharti's readiness is substantial:
- Regulatory Filing: The company applied for necessary approvals five years ago.
- Terrestrial Network: The ground-based network has been ready for the last three years.
- Satellite Positioning: The company's satellites have been positioned over India for five years.
Once the final security clearances are granted, Bharti plans to extend seamless connectivity to the most remote and difficult-to-reach areas of the country, bridging the digital divide that conventional networks struggle to address.
A Call for Lower Digital Taxes
Beyond the technical rollout, Mittal addressed the economic landscape required to sustain such massive digital infrastructure. He argued that for digital technology to act as a true multiplier for economic growth, the tax burden on digital goods and telecom services must be kept as low as possible.
He suggested that a light tax regime would accelerate the adoption of new technologies, ultimately fueling broader economic prosperity.
The Challenge of Reducing China Dependency
The forum also provided a platform for Mittal to discuss the complexities of global supply chains. He observed that the international community has allowed China to establish a dominant position in critical sectors, including electronics, automobile components, and active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs).
While many nations seek to diversify their supply chains to mitigate geopolitical risks, Mittal warned that the transition will be a long and difficult process. He pointed out that countries heavily reliant on Chinese raw materials and components cannot simply pivot overnight.
"It'll take a few decades,"Mittal cautioned, noting that while economic interdependence is inevitable, excessive reliance on a single nation is no longer sustainable in the current geopolitical climate.