Elon Musk Blames Unnamed Oligarchs For Delaying Starlink Launch In India

Elon Musk has accused unnamed oligarchs of blocking the launch of Starlink in India to protect their business monopolies. Writing on the platform X, the SpaceX founder stated that the delay denies fast and affordable internet to people who lack connections or cannot pay current prices. He called the situation a crime against the people of India while responding to a post about rural internet access.

Licensing And Approvals

Starlink holds a satellite internet licence in India but still requires security clearances and spectrum band allocation before starting commercial operations. Bloomberg reported that Indian security agencies under the home ministry have held back final approvals due to security worries. Lauren Dreyer, Starlink's vice president of business operations, stated in New Delhi that the company has spent five years working with regulators. She noted that Starlink has built 20 gateway sites across India, set up India-specific security controls, and ensured user data stays inside the country.

Market Rivalry

Musk's post appeared to target billionaires Mukesh Ambani and Sunil Bharti Mittal, though he did not name them directly. Their companies, Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel, control over 80 percent of the Indian market with about 910 million broadband subscribers combined. India has granted satellite communication licences to Starlink, Jio, and OneWeb, but none have launched full commercial services yet. Both Reliance and Bharti are pursuing their own satellite communication plans through ventures like Jio Satellite Communications and OneWeb.

Context

Satellite internet uses fleets of low-Earth orbit satellites to beam broadband connections directly to user terminals on the ground, bypassing traditional physical cables and cell towers. This technology is particularly useful for connecting remote, hilly, or rural regions where laying traditional fibre-optic cables is difficult or expensive.