Starlink India Row: Musk’s Claims Meet Minister’s Rebuttal

The standoff between Elon Musk and India’s telecom sector over the delayed Starlink launch has taken a new turn. In several posts on the social media platform X between October 7 and 9, Musk claimed that powerful business lobbies are blocking Starlink’s entry into India to protect their monopoly over the telecom market. He asked whether Mukesh Ambani is India’s real ruler. Musk said Starlink is licensed in more than 165 countries and has met every condition of the Indian government for five years, yet still has no license.

India’s Telecom Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia firmly rejected the allegations at a media briefing on October 9, saying India does not allow monopolies in any sector. According to the Department of Telecommunications, Starlink, Jio Satellite Communications and Eutelsat OneWeb have all been issued satellite communication licenses and are at the same stage. Security clearance and spectrum allocation are required for a commercial launch, and the review is still underway. The ministry’s position is that the rules apply equally to all companies.

Starlink has now waited four years for a launch in India. In a market of more than one billion internet users, Ambani’s Reliance Jio and Sunil Mittal’s Bharti Airtel dominate. Satellite internet works through satellites in low earth orbit and offers connectivity in remote, rural and hilly areas where installing mobile towers is difficult. Ambani’s Reliance Jio gave no response to Musk’s allegations.

What happens next? According to the telecom minister, a decision on spectrum pricing is near. If security clearance from the Home Ministry comes through and spectrum is allocated, all three companies will be able to start commercial service. That could open a new era of competition in India’s internet market and bring fast internet to areas where connectivity is still inadequate.

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