Musk accuses Indian 'oligarchs' of blocking Starlink; India's ministry rejects claim
In short
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk said on Wednesday that "certain oligarchs" were blocking Starlink's launch in India to keep a "monopolistic chokehold" on the market, and on Thursday asked on X whether Mukesh Ambani is "the real boss of India". India's Ministry of Communications rejected the claims, saying its framework is "fair and non-discriminatory" and that Starlink and two other licensed satellite operators are at "broadly the same" stage.
Read the full story 2 min read
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk said on Wednesday that Starlink is being blocked from launching in India. "We are being blocked by certain oligarchs in order to maintain their monopolistic chokehold on the Indian people. You can guess who they are," he said, calling it "a crime against the people of India." TechCrunch reported that he did not identify them or provide evidence. Business Insider reported that Musk issued scores of X posts on the delays in 24 hours. [ 2 , 3 , 4 ]
India's Ministry of Communications rejected the allegations, saying its framework for satellite communications is "fair and non-discriminatory" and that Starlink and two other licensed providers are at "broadly the same" stage. According to TechCrunch, the ministry said all three are undergoing security assessments that must be completed before they can seek spectrum. UPI dated the statement to Thursday; TechCrunch said it came hours after Musk's comments. [ 2 , 4 ]
On Thursday Musk asked on X, "Is Ambani the real boss of India?" He said Starlink is licensed in over 165 countries and has spent five years complying with every law and requirement of the Indian government, "so why still no license?" Mukesh Ambani is chairperson of Reliance Industries, TechCrunch reported. Business Insider said Indian telecoms are largely dominated by Jio and Airtel, run by Ambani and fellow billionaire Sunil Mittal. Musk also said opponents of Starlink "hurt only the least-served." [ 3 , 4 , 5 ]
SpaceX has agreements with Jio and Bharti Airtel, which UPI said control 80% of the market, but has yet to launch. Business Insider said Starlink first applied for licences in 2022 and received one last year but still awaits final approval; UPI said it received a licence in 2025 four years after first approaching authorities. UPI reported more than 20 ground stations and hundreds of antennae in place. TechCrunch said SpaceX appointed former Payoneer executive Prabhakar Jayakumar in December to lead its India operations. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
Jio Platforms announced plans in June to roll out low-orbit satellite communications, CNBC reported, and Business Insider said Jio plans a 1,600-satellite constellation but has yet to launch a satellite. SpaceX's Lauren Dreyer said at India Mobile Congress that 11,000 Starlink satellites in orbit provide service to people in over 170 countries. CNBC reported that Starlink faces pushback from Indian regulators over security concerns, which the company has denied, and cited a June Bloomberg report that regulators froze approvals over fears its terminals could be used despite the service not being licensed. Neil Shah of Counterpoint Research said the government is concerned about a foreign player in satellite communications, and that there are questions about how Starlink's terminals will be geofenced and whether data will be localised. [ 1 , 3 ]
Why it matters
Starlink has signed agreements with Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel but has yet to launch in India, a market said to have more than a billion subscribers. The dispute pits Musk against India's government, and Business Insider reported that Jio and Airtel, which UPI said control 80% of the market, appear to have their own satellite ambitions.
Key facts
- Musk said Starlink is "being blocked by certain oligarchs in order to maintain their monopolistic chokehold on the Indian people" and called it "a crime against the people of India". [ 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- Musk later asked on X: "Is Ambani the real boss of India?" [ 3 , 4 , 5 ]
- India's Ministry of Communications said Starlink and two other licensed satellite operators are at "broadly the same" stage. [ 2 , 4 ]
- According to TechCrunch, the ministry said all three are undergoing security assessments that must be completed before they can seek spectrum. [ 4 ]
- SpaceX has agreements with Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel but has yet to launch Starlink in India. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- UPI reported that Jio and Airtel control 80% of the Indian market. [ 2 ]
- Business Insider reported that Jio is planning a constellation of 1,600 low Earth orbit satellites but has yet to launch a satellite. [ 3 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- Musk said Starlink was being blocked in India by "certain oligarchs" maintaining a "monopolistic chokehold" on the Indian people. [ 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- Musk asked whether Ambani is "the real boss of India". [ 3 , 4 , 5 ]
- The Ministry of Communications said its framework is "fair and non-discriminatory" and that Starlink and two other licensed operators are at "broadly the same" stage. [ 2 , 4 ]
- SpaceX has agreements with Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- Starlink has yet to launch its service in India. [ 1 , 2 , 4 ]
- India is described as a market of more than a billion subscribers. [ 2 , 4 ]
Still unclear
- Who Musk meant by "oligarchs". Musk did not initially name them, and TechCrunch said he gave no evidence; he later questioned Mukesh Ambani's influence.
- When Starlink first sought entry to India. Business Insider says Starlink first applied for licences in 2022; UPI says it received a licence in 2025 four years after first approaching authorities; TechCrunch says it has spent more than five years trying to enter.
- How many countries Starlink operates in. SpaceX's Lauren Dreyer said Starlink serves people in over 170 countries, while Musk said it is licensed in over 165 countries.
- Whether security concerns are holding up approval. Only CNBC reports regulatory pushback over security concerns, which the company has denied, and cites a June Bloomberg report that regulators froze approvals over fears its terminals could be used despite the service not being licensed.
- How Reliance and Airtel respond. CNBC said it had asked Airtel and Reliance Industries for comment; no response is reported.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- Oct 7: CNBC reports Musk blaming Indian 'oligarchs' for stalling Starlink's launch. [ 1 ]
- Oct 8: UPI reports the Ministry of Communications rejecting Musk's allegations. [ 2 ]
- Oct 8: Business Insider reports Musk issued scores of X posts on the delays in the previous 24 hours. [ 3 ]
- Oct 8: TechCrunch reports Musk asking whether Ambani is "the real boss of India". [ 4 ]
- Oct 9: CNBC reports Musk's remarks aimed at Ambani. [ 5 ]