In late 2021, Starlink's then-India head, Sanjay Bhargava, announced a 'stretch target' of having 2 lakh terminals running in the country by end-2022, most of them in villages. The company took pre-orders from some 5,000 Indians. It had no licence. DoT told it to stop and refund the money, and Bhargava left soon after.
That episode is worth recalling this week. At India Mobile Congress on Wednesday, SpaceX VP Lauren Dreyer said Starlink has built 20 gateway sites here and stands 'ready to serve India once India is ready'. Her boss was less patient. Only a few hours later, Elon Musk posted that 'certain oligarchs' were blocking the service, and called it 'a crime against the people of India'.
