Musk says Indian licence delay for Starlink stems from domestic monopoly, Gandhi fires back

Elon Musk asserted that Starlink’s pending Indian licence is being blocked by powerful local interests, prompting a sharp reply from opposition leader Rahul Gandhi. The government responded, saying the country's satcom regulatory framework is impartial and that applicants must meet security criteria, with assessments currently in progress. Musk reiterated on social media that his service operates in more than 165 nations and has spent five years complying with every Indian rule, yet the licence remains unavailable, and he asked, “Is Ambani the real boss of India?” Gandhi answered, “Welcome to India, Elon. Wait till you discover the other guy.” Earlier, Musk had blamed “certain oligarchs” for a monopolistic chokehold, calling the situation a crime against Indians. He also highlighted that Starlink could bring fast, low‑cost internet to users who cannot afford existing plans. Reliance Jio, which is also seeking a satellite broadband licence, declined to comment. The Ministry of Communications reiterated that no satcom operator has yet received final clearance and that all three applicants – Starlink, Jio Satellite Communications and Bharti‑backed Eutelsat OneWeb – are at the same stage of security review, after which spectrum allocation can be considered. The ministry called claims of bias unfounded. A placeholder price of ₹8,600 per month appeared on Starlink’s Indian site last year, though no official rates have been announced. Sunil Bharti Mittal of Bharti Airtel dismissed Musk’s allegations, noting his own venture also awaits approval. ## Context