Manoj Kumar, CEO of Speak Asia, publicly promised to return to Mumbai "soon" in a July 30, 2011 YouTube video. The address followed the arrest of Speak Asia COO Tarak Bajpai. Kumar stated he would lead from the front and see supporters in Mumbai.

Kumar never returned to India. He has remained overseas, reportedly on the run from Indian authorities since fleeing the company in May 2011. Speak Asia associates often cited legal advice as the reason for Kumar's continued absence, claiming lawyers advised him against returning. This advice reportedly stemmed from fears of Kumar's arrest.

Kumar had claimed in the same July video that he committed no crimes. If this were true, a brief explanation to a judge could discredit any evidence from the Economic Offenses Wing (EOW) or other agencies. Police cannot hold someone without sufficient evidence to charge them, which must be proven in court. Kumar's public promise to return to India five months prior went unkept.

In the same July 30 video, Kumar also told viewers Speak Asia was "formalizing its India operations by applying for opening offices in Mumbai." He added the company would then "open up five zones across India." Speak Asia never established a formal office in India, nor were five zones ever opened. Neither Kumar nor Speak Asia publicly explained why these plans did not proceed.

Kumar made two more claims in an October 2011 YouTube interview from Abu Dhabi. He stated the government of Bangladesh had "approved the (Speak Asia's) business model," and that business operations would begin there in December. This approval likely referred to a product-based business model Speak Asia described but did not use.