'Baseless & Misconceived': India Rejects Elon Musk's Claim That Starlink Is Being Blocked

The Ministry of Communications has dismissed Elon Musk's suggestion that India's satellite communication rules are being applied unfairly. In an official statement, the Indian government called the claim 'baseless and misconceived' and said all licensed satellite operators are at broadly the same regulatory stage.

What did Elon Musk say?

The SpaceX CEO replied on X to a post arguing that Starlink could offer underserved Indian communities a new route to high-speed broadband. "Unfortunately, we are being blocked by certain" powerful players, Musk wrote, "in order to maintain their monopolistic chokehold on the Indian people." Some outlets described the remark as a veiled attack on established telecom operators. Musk did not name anyone.

The Indian government's response

The ministry said it has put in place "a fair and non-discriminatory authorisation framework for all telecommunication services, including satellite communication services." Telecom licences have been granted to three Global Mobile Personal Communication by Satellite (GMPCS) operators using non-geosynchronous satellite systems, it said, as part of its commitment to enabling satellite services in India.

"Under the terms and conditions of license, every such licensee is required to demonstrate compliance with security conditions. This is aimed at ensuring that services provided meet various security requirements to ensure safety of all users and their data. Security assessment as part of this process is currently under way in respect of all the three licensees. As and when this process is completed for a licensed entity, it may proceed to the next step of seeking assignment of spectrum. At present, all the three entities are at broadly the same regulatory stage. As such, the suggestion that the framework or its application is unfair or discriminatory is baseless and misconceived," the government said in a statement.

Starlink's earlier position

Starlink has said it is building its India operations around local requirements. Lauren Dreyer, the company's vice president of business operations, has previously said Starlink has established controls at every layer for India and is keeping Indian user data within the country. In June, she refuted reports that India had frozen Starlink's approval process over geopolitical and security concerns.

Starlink's long road to India

Starlink's India journey has been slow. In 2022, the government asked the company to stop taking pre-orders for a service it was not licensed to provide, and Starlink refunded customers. Reports have also pointed to scrutiny of its shareholding under India's rules on investment from countries sharing a land border. Musk has since publicly said he is "looking forward to serving India," including after a meeting between Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia and Starlink executives.