Centre rejects Elon Musk’s Starlink ‘Oligarchs’ allegation, says rules are fair
Musk alleged that Starlink is being blocked to protect telecom monopolies; company says it is ready to launch services pending spectrum and security clearances
The Centre on Thursday (October 8) rejected Elon Musk’s allegation that “certain oligarchs” were blocking Starlink’s entry into the country to protect their hold over the telecom market, saying the regulatory framework for satellite communication services is “fair and non-discriminatory”.
The Ministry of Communications, in a statement, said all three companies licensed to provide satellite communication services are currently at “broadly the same regulatory stage” and are undergoing security assessments before they can seek spectrum assignment.
What Musk alleged
The government’s response came after Musk alleged that Starlink was being kept out of India to protect the interests of unnamed telecom players. He made the claim in a post on X while commenting on gaps in mobile connectivity in rural parts of the country.
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“Unfortunately, we are being blocked by certain oligarchs in order to maintain their monopolistic chokehold on the Indian people,” said Musk.
“You can guess who they are... This is a crime against the people of India!” he added.
Govt says three firms follow same framework
The Ministry of Communications said India has a common authorisation framework for telecom services, including satellite communication. It said licences have been granted to three Global Mobile Personal Communication by Satellite services using non-geosynchronous satellite orbit-based systems.
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Under the licence conditions, each company must meet security requirements before moving to the next stage.
The ministry said security assessments are currently underway for all three licensees. Once the assessment is completed, a licensed company can proceed with seeking spectrum assignment.
Ministry says no company has moved ahead
It further stated that none of the three companies has moved ahead of the others in this process.
“As such, the suggestion that the framework or its application is unfair or discriminatory is baseless and misconceived,” the ministry said.
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The dispute comes as Starlink waits for regulatory approvals to begin commercial operations in India. At India Mobile Congress 2026, Starlink Business Operations Vice President Lauren Dreyer said that the company had already spent money on facilities for its Indian operations.
Starlink awaits remaining approvals
Dreyer said Starlink had established 20 gateway sites in India and was waiting for the remaining approvals.
Musk’s remarks came after a post citing more than 11,000 Indian villages without 4G coverage and referring to gaps in BharatNet’s rural connectivity.