Starlink India Head Sanjay Bhargava Resigns as It Offers Refunds for Pre-Orders

Starlink India Country Director Sanjay Bhargava has resigned from his position, according to his LinkedIn post.

The move comes just weeks after government stated that Starlink Internet Services is not licensed to offer satellite-based Internet services in India, and had advised the public not to subscribe to the services that are being advertised by the Elon Musk-backed company, without a requisite licence in the country.

Bhargava, in the LinkedIn post on Tuesday evening, said: “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.” Bhargava did not respond to queries sent to him in this regard.

In November, the telecom department had asked Starlink to comply with the regulatory framework for offering satellite-based communication services, and to refrain from booking/rendering the satellite Internet services in India “with immediate effect”.

The service has also started sending out emails to users in India offering refunds on their pre-orders. Starlink said that it has been directed by the Department of Telecom to refund pre-orders until the company’s Internet service is licensed in India.

The company was previously believed to be working on launching its services in India in ten rural Lok Sabha constituencies. India was considered one of its key markets.