Sanjay Bhargava quits Elon Musk’s satellite firm Starlink; here’s what he said

Sanjay Bhargava, who was recently appointed as the country director India of Starlink, has left the Elon Musk-led satellite firm, Starlink.

New Delhi: Sanjay Bhargava, who was recently appointed as the country director India of Starlink, has quit the Elon Musk-led satellite firm Starlink even before the start of the company’s operations in the country. 

Bhargava announced his exit in a post on Microsoft-owned professional networking site LinkedIn. "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, 2021. I will have no comments for individuals and media so please respect my privacy," he said in his LinkedIn post. 

Bhargava’s exit has come weeks after the Department of Telecom (DoT) had asked Starlink to stop taking pre-orders until it receives licences to operate in the country. The company was also directed to refund all its pre-orders. 

"As has always been the case, you can receive a refund at any time," the company had said in an email (accessed by Reuters) to one of its customers.

"Unfortunately, the timeline for receiving licences to operate is currently unknown, and there are several issues that must be resolved with the licensing framework to allow us to operate Starlink in India," the company said in the email.

"The Starlink team is looking forward to making Starlink available in India as soon as possible," it said. Also Read: Rotomac owner Vikram Kothari passes away in Kanpur

According to Reuters, Starlink is one of the companies involved in launching small satellites as part of a low-Earth orbit network. These firms are aiming to provide low-latency broadband internet services around the world, with a particular focus on remote areas that terrestrial internet infrastructure struggles to reach. Also Read: Sebi recruitment 2022: Vacancy for 120 officers, check last date of application and other job details