'Significantly ahead' of Starlink in securing service approval: Sunil Mittal
What's the story
Bharti Enterprises Chairman Sunil Bharti Mittal has claimed that his company is "significantly ahead" of Starlink in securing approvals for satellite communications services in India. Speaking at the Bloomberg New Economy Forum, Mittal said that they had asked for permission five years ago and are now waiting for approvals. He expressed hope that these would come through before Starlink's.
Policy praise
Mittal praises India's policy stability, predictability
Mittal also praised India's policy stability, predictability, and foreign direct investment (FDI) regime. He said these aspects were in a "very good place," which is crucial for attracting global investments. The Bharti Enterprises chairman emphasized need to reduce overdependence on China amid shifting geopolitical dynamics.
Investment potential
India to attract more capital, says Mittal
Mittal also highlighted India's potential to attract a lot of capital, including from smaller nations like the UAE and Singapore.
He said bilateral trade agreements were benefiting India in this regard.
The Bharti Enterprises chief also spoke about his company's focus on data centers and the establishment of a sovereign cloud to serve Indian enterprises, government, and defense forces.
AI regulation
Call for AI regulation
Mittal also stressed on the need for India to start thinking about regulation in the context of artificial intelligence (AI). On the Indian rupee, he admitted that it had faced a "blip" in the last year and a half due to supply chain disruptions.