Elon Musk has publicly attacked Indian authorities over delayed Starlink approvals, labeling the process a ‘crime against the people of India’ while accusing local industry giants of obstructing his entry.
The standoff between Elon Musk and the Indian government escalated sharply this week as the billionaire grew increasingly vocal about the regulatory hurdles keeping Starlink from launching commercial services in the country. Over the last 24 hours. Musk has taken to X. firing off a series of posts to decry the years-long wait for final approval.
“Unfortunately. we are being blocked by certain oligarchs in order to maintain their monopolistic chokehold on the Indian people. ” Musk wrote on Wednesday. “This is a crime against the people of India!” He later questioned whether Mukesh Ambani—the world’s 25th-wealthiest person—is the “real boss of India.”.
Starlink first filed for commercial licensing in 2022. Despite securing a license last year. the company remains trapped in a final approval phase that has stretched for five years. Musk contends that during this period, Starlink has complied with every government requirement, only to find itself sidelined. He argues that the delay directly impacts the least-served citizens in remote areas who lack mobile or internet coverage. asserting that wealthy residents in major cities already have access and therefore cannot understand the urgency.
Musk’s frustration is aimed at the competitive landscape of India’s telecom sector. dominated by firms like Jio. led by Ambani. and Airtel. helmed by Sunil Mittal. While Starlink signed partnerships with both companies last year, the firms have their own satellite ambitions. Jio is planning a 1. 600-satellite low Earth orbit constellation to rival Starlink. though it has yet to launch a single satellite. Musk’s service currently operates a constellation of over 11,000 satellites. Meanwhile. Airtel has partnered with the French firm Eutelsat to compete directly with Starlink. with Mittal serving as co-chair of Eutelsat.
There is a fundamental disconnect between the private grievances aired by Musk and the official position of the Indian government. The Ministry of Communications issued a statement on Thursday clarifying that it has granted licenses to three unnamed satellite operators. The ministry stated that these companies are all at “broadly the same regulatory stage” and are currently required to demonstrate compliance with security conditions.
“As such. the suggestion that the framework or its application is unfair or discriminatory is baseless and misconceived. ” the ministry noted. Supporting this, the office of the Prime Minister stated that any digital infrastructure must be “airtight and foolproof” regarding security. This regulatory caution follows reports from June that authorities had previously frozen approvals over concerns about Starlink terminals being used in the Iran war despite the service lacking a license there.
Jio. which launched a decade ago. maintains a reputation for cutting data costs. but the path forward for foreign satellite providers remains narrow. With security assessments still underway. the tension lies in a clash between a global tech firm’s desire for rapid deployment and a national government’s insistence on a standardized. secure. and measured regulatory rollout.
Elon Musk Starlink India Jio Airtel Mukesh Ambani satellite broadband regulation