India criticized the statements made by tech magnate Elon Musk on Thursday, claiming that certain 'oligarchs' are hindering Starlink's market entry, asserting that government regulations are fair.
Starlink, which provides high-speed internet access to remote areas via low-Earth orbit satellites, is sparking active debates in India regarding issues such as spectrum allocation and predatory pricing.
In March 2025, Jio Platforms, owned by Indian billionaire Mukesh Ambani, announced an agreement with Musk's SpaceX to provide Starlink satellite internet services to its customers. However, the launch has not yet taken place.
On Wednesday, Musk posted a message on the social network X, stating that his service was being 'blocked.' He wrote: 'Unfortunately, we are being blocked by certain oligarchs to maintain their monopoly control over the Indian people.' Musk added: 'You can guess who they are... This is a crime against the people of India!'
The Ministry of Communications of India stated on Thursday that the government possesses a 'fair and non-discriminatory authorization system for all telecommunication services.' Although the ministry did not mention Musk personally, it responded to the social media post regarding the fairness of India's regulatory framework for satellite communication services.
The ministry clarified that telecommunications licenses were issued to satellite services as part of obligations to ensure the provision of such services in India, but it did not name the companies. It was also announced that a security assessment is currently underway for all three licensees, and after this process is completed, the licensed organization will be able to move to the next stage.
