Elon Musk accused unnamed business figures of obstructing Starlink’s satellite internet launch in India. The Communications Ministry said three licensed operators are undergoing security reviews at broadly the same regulatory stage.
Musk also questioned the influence of Reliance Industries chairperson Mukesh Ambani on X on Oct. 8: “Is Ambani the real boss of India?” A day earlier, on Oct. 7, he accused unnamed “oligarchs” of trying to preserve a monopoly in the market, but offered no evidence for the allegation.
India’s Communications Ministry described its satellite communications rules as fair and non-discriminatory. It said Starlink and two other licensed operators were at broadly the same stage of the approval process. All three are undergoing security assessments. Once those are completed, they can seek assignment of the radio spectrum needed to operate.
SpaceX has spent more than five years preparing to launch Starlink in India. It has received a key licence, but still needs to complete required approvals and checks before commercial service can begin. TechCrunch reported that Starlink has more than 20 gateway stations and hundreds of ground antennas in the country. The company has partnerships with Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel.
At the India Mobile Congress in New Delhi, Starlink Vice President of Business Operations Lauren Dreyer said the company was ready to serve India. She said the service could help expand internet access. The government says the launch depends on completing security procedures and obtaining spectrum.
The dispute over how satellite spectrum should be assigned has lasted for several years. Starlink has advocated administrative allocation, while Reliance Jio previously argued for an auction. India chose the administrative route. Jio and Airtel are also developing their own satellite services, but have agreed to distribute Starlink. A launch date in India has not been announced.