India, March 12 -- Satellite internet connectivity, or SAT-G as Bharti Enterprises' founder and chairman Sunil Bharti Mittal calls it, may be closer to being a reality in India than perhaps we realise. The SpaceX owned Starlink internet company has signed agreements with Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio. The idea is not just technology sharing, but also leveraging the retail presence of two of India's leading telecom players.

The critical detail here is, Starlink is yet to receive the necessary regulatory approvals in the country. That means Starlink, apart from announcing the partnerships with Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio, cannot list the products for pre-orders or for sale, cannot direction any active satellite beams within India's geo...