The Government of India on Thursday issued a sharp rebuttal to American billionaire Elon Musk, dismissing his allegations that “certain oligarchs” were blocking his satellite internet service, Starlink, from launching in the country to protect a “monopolistic chokehold”.
Calling the claims “baseless and misconceived,” the Ministry of Communications affirmed that India operates a fair, non-discriminatory authorization framework applicable equally to all telecommunication providers.
All Licensees at the Same Regulatory Stage
The Centre clarified that telecom licenses for Global Mobile Personal Communication by Satellite (GMPCS) services based on Non-Geosynchronous Satellite Orbit (NGSO) technology have been granted to three entities—Starlink, Bharti-backed Eutelsat OneWeb, and Reliance’s Jio Satellite Communications.
According to the Ministry, all three operators are currently at broadly the same regulatory stage, undergoing standard security evaluations.
”Under the terms and conditions of licence, every such licensee is required to demonstrate compliance with security conditions. This is aimed at ensuring that services provided meet various security requirements to ensure the safety of all users and their data. Security assessment as part of this process is currently under way in respect of all three licencees,” the Ministry stated, adding that spectrum assignment can only proceed after these clearances are complete.
Musk’s Social Media Outburst vs. SpaceX Operational Readiness
The official clarification followed a post by Musk on X (formerly Twitter) alleging: “Unfortunately, we are being blocked by certain oligarchs in order to maintain their monopolistic chokehold on the Indian people.”
The statement contrasted with remarks made just hours earlier by Lauren Dreyer, Vice President of Business Operations at SpaceX, during India Mobile Congress 2026. Dreyer stated that Starlink has established India-specific infrastructure, built 20 ground gateway sites comprising hundreds of antennas, and aligned operations to store Indian user data strictly within national borders to comply with state security mandates.
