DoT derails Musk's bid to capture Indian Net market

New Delhi, January 5

The Department of Telecom (DoT) has derailed billionaire Elon Musk’s plan to capture the Indian Internet market through his Starlink project.

The imbroglio has now claimed Starlink’s India head Sanjay Bhargava, who announced on Wednesday that he had quit the company. “I have stepped down as Country Director and Chairman of the Board of Starlink India for personal reasons. My last working day was December 31. I will have no comments for individuals and the media,” he said in a message on a job search site.

Bhargava may have quit after a second setback to the company’s plans. Once earlier last year, the company shut down its services after a soft launch. This time, the setback is more pronounced. In November last year, the DoT advised Indians to not buy Starlink Internet Services as it is not yet licensed in the country. As a result, the Elon Musk company has been compelled to email its 5,000 potential customers offering refunds on their pre-orders because the status of for receiving licences is “currently unknown”. — TNS