India rejects Elon Musk's discrimination claim over Starlink

On Wednesday, Musk accused unnamed “oligarchs” of blocking Starlink’s launch in India to protect their “monopolistic chokehold” on the country, without naming anyone or offering evidence. He described the alleged blocking as a “crime against the people of India” and argued that Starlink could bring affordable, high-speed internet to people who currently lack access.

Hours later, India’s Ministry of Communications pushed back, saying in a statement that its regulatory framework for satellite communications is “fair and non-discriminatory.” The ministry said Starlink and two other licensed satellite operators are all at “broadly the same regulatory stage,” and that all three are undergoing security assessments that must be completed before they can seek spectrum — the radio frequencies satellites use to send signal.

The clash comes as SpaceX struggles to turn years of regulatory work and telecom partnerships into a commercial Starlink launch in India, a market of more than a billion internet subscribers. Starlink has spent over five years trying to enter the country, securing key regulatory approvals and partnering with telecom giants Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel last year — but it has yet to begin commercial service. SpaceX has also built a local team, appointing former Payoneer executive Prabhakar Jayakumar to lead its India operations in December.

Musk’s comments came hours after Lauren Dreyer, Starlink’s vice president of business operations, told the India Mobile Congress in New Delhi, “We stand ready to serve India,” adding that Starlink wants to help realize Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s goal of universal connectivity. Starlink said it already operates more than 20 gateway sites — the ground stations linking its satellites to the internet — and hundreds of antennas in India, and has adapted its operations to the country’s regulatory, security, and data-sovereignty requirements.

India and Starlink have clashed before. SpaceX first tried to launch Starlink in India in 2021 but had to refund preorders in early 2022 after the government said the company was booking the service before securing the necessary licenses. The two sides also disagreed over how satellite spectrum should be allocated: Starlink pushed for an administrative assignment, while Jio argued for an auction that could have made Starlink’s entry more expensive. India ultimately sided with Starlink’s preferred approach, choosing administrative allocation.

Jio and Airtel, India’s two biggest telecom operators, both distribute Starlink even as they chase competing satellite services of their own — Jio with SES, Airtel as a major backer of Eutelsat OneWeb. The timing of Starlink’s India launch remains unclear; this week the company launched Starlink Mobile, which connects ordinary phones to satellites, in neighboring Bangladesh. Starlink, India’s Ministry of Communications, Reliance Jio, and Bharti Airtel did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Why it matters

Musk’s public accusation, and the ministry’s swift rebuttal, could point to rising friction between SpaceX and Indian regulators just as Starlink nears a commercial debut it has chased for more than five years in one of the world’s largest internet markets.