India can be satellite launch destination of choice, should aim for one launch every week: Sunil Bharti Mittal

In an exclusive conversation with CNBC TV18’s Managing Editor Shereen Bhan, the Founder and Chairman of Bharti Enterprises Sunil Bharti Mittal made a pitch for India as the world’s satellite launch destination of choice.

He argued India has an opportunity with Russia’s space agency ROSCOSMOS not available for launches, on account of the war in Ukraine. He argued that outside of the US, India can lead satellite launches. He further batters for the number of launches from India to be scaled up to — one launch every week or 52 in a year.

Bharti-backed OneWeb has launched 72 satellites, through ISRO, in two separate launches — October 2022 and March 2023.

OneWeb and Elon Musk-based Starlink are the only two companies in the world that seek to provide connectivity solutions through a constellation of Low Ear Orbit (LEO) satellites. Sunil Bharti Mittal said that he was keen to demonstrate the use case of space-based connectivity. He announced that OneWeb’s space-based broadband services would be ready for India by October-November.

He championed India’s space capabilities, arguing that the people the world over are discussing India’s achievements. One of the features of Indian space advances, in his words, has been high-tech work at low costs. Referring to the successful Chandrayaan-3 mission, he claimed a similar project mounted by the US would have cost billions of dollars.

He also batted for widening India’s space program. He argued that the time is right for more missions to the Moon and Mars. He also made a pitch for India to participate with the International Space Station in a more meaningful way.