Hajra Naz
India has rejected Elon Musk’s claim that Starlink is being unfairly blocked from launching in the country. Starlink is SpaceX’s satellite internet service. This pushback comes as SpaceX struggles to turn years of regulatory work into a commercial launch. It also has partnerships with India’s biggest telecom operators. India is one of the world’s largest internet markets.
On Wednesday, Musk accused unnamed “oligarchs” of blocking the Starlink launch. He claimed they want to maintain what he called their “monopolistic chokehold” on the country. He didn’t identify them or provide evidence for his claim. He called the alleged blocking a “crime against the people of India.” He also argued that Starlink could bring affordable, high-speed internet to people without access.
Hours later, India’s Ministry of Communications pushed back. It said its regulatory framework for satellite communications is “fair and non-discriminatory.” The ministry stated that Starlink and two other licensed satellite operators sit at “broadly the same regulatory stage.”
It added that all three companies are undergoing security assessments. These assessments must finish before they can seek spectrum. Spectrum refers to the radio frequencies satellites use to send signals.
Starlink has spent over five years trying to enter India. The country has more than a billion internet subscribers. Still, Starlink has yet to begin commercial services. This is despite securing key regulatory approvals.
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It also partnered with telecom giants Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel last year. SpaceX has also set up a local team as it prepares for launch. In December, it appointed former Payoneer executive Prabhakar Jayakumar to lead its India operations.
Musk’s comments came hours after another Starlink appearance. Lauren Dreyer, Starlink’s vice president of business operations, spoke at India Mobile Congress in New Delhi. That’s a telecom industry conference. She reiterated the company’s commitment to the market. “We stand ready to serve India,” Dreyer said. She added that Starlink wants to help achieve Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s goal. That goal is universal connectivity across the country.
Starlink said it already has more than 20 gateway sites in India. These are ground stations linking its satellites to the internet. It also has hundreds of antennas on the ground there. The company says it has adapted its operations to meet India’s requirements. That includes regulatory, security, and data-sovereignty rules. SpaceX has also positioned its satellite network as a complement to India’s terrestrial telecom networks. It doesn’t present it as a replacement.
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SpaceX first attempted to launch Starlink in India back in 2021. Still, the company had to refund preorders for its equipment in early 2022. The Indian government had called it out for “booking/rendering the satellite internet service” before getting necessary licenses.
Starlink has also clashed with India’s largest telecom operators before. The dispute centered on how satellite spectrum should be allocated. Starlink pushed for administrative assignment. Reliance Jio argued for an auction instead.
That position could have made Starlink’s entry more expensive. India ultimately sided with Starlink’s preferred approach. It decided to allocate satellite spectrum administratively, not through an auction.
Jio and Airtel are India’s two biggest telcos. They’re also pursuing their own satellite internet services. This is happening even as they agreed to distribute Starlink in India. Jio is working with satellite operator SES on satellite broadband. Airtel is a major backer of Eutelsat OneWeb. That’s another licensed satellite operator in India.
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The timing of Starlink’s India launch remains unclear. Still, the company launched Starlink Mobile this week in neighboring Bangladesh. This service connects ordinary phones directly to satellites.
Starlink, India’s Ministry of Communications, Reliance Jio, and Bharti Airtel did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
