Elon Musk, founder of SpaceX, has alleged that a group of powerful individuals have been blocking the rollout of Starlink's satellite internet service to consumers in India, describing the arrangement as an injustice toward the Indian public. In a post published on X on Wednesday, Musk alleged that certain unnamed parties were standing in the way of his company's entry into the Indian market, claiming their motivation was to protect what he characterised as a monopolistic hold over consumers there, though he stopped short of naming any specific person or business.
Musk has alleged that unidentified business groups in India have worked to keep Starlink out of the country in order to preserve their grip on the telecommunications sector.
Two carriers — Reliance Jio, led by Mukesh Ambani, and Bharti Airtel, operating under Sunil Mittal's leadership — hold dominant positions in India's telecommunications sector. Each firm struck separate deals with SpaceX during 2025 that paved the way for Starlink connectivity to reach customers across India. No commercial product has resulted from those partnerships so far.
On Thursday, 8 October, the Ministry of Communications issued a statement pushing back against claims that its licensing process for satellite internet services gives preferential treatment to particular firms. The ministry characterised allegations that the framework, or how it has been put into practice, treats any party unfairly or unequally as without foundation. Regulators at the communications ministry indicated that identical compliance obligations apply to every operator in the sector, and that reviews of security matters remain ongoing.
To date, three satellite communication operators, Starlink among them, have been granted preliminary approvals. Pending approvals cover two outstanding items for each of the three parties: a spectrum assignment and a security clearance. According to officials, the various applications are all positioned at roughly comparable points in the process.
Efforts by Starlink to establish a presence in the Indian market have stretched across multiple years without resolution. Three sticking points persist: how satellite terminals would be operated, how spectrum would be divided up, and what security standards would apply. Starlink hardware was seized by authorities on two separate occasions in 2024 — once during operations in Manipur and again in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
Musk has stated, across multiple posts, that Starlink's satellite coverage over India was turned off. Speaking at India Mobile Congress on Wednesday, Lauren Dreyer of Starlink told attendees that the provider had spent years pursuing satellite internet access for the country.
