After Mukesh Ambani, Sunil Mittal Sets Local-Control Condition for Elon Musk’s Starlink

Bharti Airtel Chairman Sunil Bharti Mittal said Starlink can enter India only if its network’s “kill switch” and control remain in the country. Mittal told NDTV on November 13 that Elon Musk seemed impatient and frustrated, according to BeInCrypto. Mittal’s group backs OneWeb, a Starlink rival also awaiting approval, and he said Starlink’s sale in India would be “all right” with local control. The issue drew attention after SpaceX’s Starshield, its military version of Starlink, was slowed in Ukraine from Oct. 14 to 24, United24 reported. Musk said the decision was made by U.S. President Donald Trump; Starshield is owned and controlled by the U.S. government, while Starlink is a commercial SpaceX service. Mittal said Starlink’s laser links let data bypass Indian ground stations, unlike OneWeb’s system; Tech Insider reported that the design conflicts with India’s security rules. Jio Platforms, owned by Mukesh Ambani, listed Oct. 28 at ₹1,119 ($11.68) in India’s largest IPO and traded near ₹1,400 on Nov. 13. Jio holds 42.6% of fixed broadband lines and 77.5% of 5G home wireless, markets where Starlink could compete once approved. Musk accused Ambani of blocking Starlink; India denied bias and said Starlink filed security papers last. Mittal said in October he would welcome approval days before Musk’s and questioned demand, noting Indians can get 5G for about $3 a month—around one-tenth of satellite service’s price. India’s Cabinet must still set spectrum fees, and the Home Ministry must clear each operator before sales can begin.