Would India say no to Facebook and Google, asks Mittal
Commenting on countries tightening work visa norms, Bharti Airtel's Sunil Mittal said, "Would we say we don't want Facebook (and) Google to operate in India (as) we have homegrown apps?" Mittal highlighted that movement of Indian workers is getting restricted, while foreign firms have millions of users in India. India is a big market for technology companies, he added.
New Delhi, Apr 28 (PTI) As the US under President Donald Trump turns more protectionist, telecom czar Sunil Bharti Mittal today asked if India should say no to Facebook and Google just because it has similar homegrown apps. Not overly concerned about protectionism as his business is "rooted in the domestic market", Mittal highlighted that it is unfair that movement of Indian workers gets restricted, while foreign firms make huge profits in India. "If you come to a situation where skilled workers which actually drive your economy back home are going to be denied (entry) or Indian companies are forced to pay a particular salary just to become uncompetitive in those countries, I think that becomes an affirmative action against the companies that want to do trade there," he said. He was responding to a question on how he would react if Bharti Airtel was not allowed to operate in certain geographies. 