The Indian government strongly refuted allegations made by SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, who claimed that Starlink’s entry into the country is being intentionally stalled.
The controversy erupted after Musk alleged on social media that Starlink is being “blocked by certain oligarchs in order to maintain their monopolistic chokehold on the Indian people.” The swipe was aimed at domestic telecom giants Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel.
Responding swiftly, the Ministry of Communications released an official statement dismissing the narrative. The government stated that it has implemented a “fair and non-discriminatory authorization framework” for all satellite communication providers. It added that any suggestion of unfair treatment is “baseless and misconceived.”
Officials clarified that three satellite operators—Starlink, Jio Satellite Communications, and Eutelsat OneWeb—are currently at “broadly the same regulatory stage” as they undergo mandatory data localization and national security assessments.
Telecom Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia reinforced that safety remains paramount. "You have to look at it from a security perspective... When they check all the boxes, they will get the license," Scindia noted, confirming that Starlink is actively working to comply with the Indian framework.