SpaceX’s Starlink is reportedly ready for launch in India, but CEO Elon Musk alleges that powerful business interests are blocking its commercial rollout. Starlink has built 20 gateway sites featuring hundreds of antennas across India, according to Starlink executive Lauren Dreyer.
The company says it is ready to comply with local regulations and has implemented India-specific security measures to ensure user data remains within the country.
“We’re standing ready to serve India. Once India is ready,” Dreyer said Wednesday at the India Mobile Congress 2026. “We’re ready to work with the government, ready to work with operators, ready to work with industry to this end.”
However, the commercial rollout remains subject to regulatory approvals.
Musk blamed “certain oligarchs” for keeping Starlink out of India in a post on X.
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“You can guess who they are,” Musk said, describing the alleged blockade as a “crime against the people of India.” He did not name any individuals or companies or provide evidence supporting the allegation.
In India, Starlink would enter a market that already includes Eutelsat OneWeb, backed by Sunil Mittal’s Bharti Group, and Reliance Jio Space Technology, backed by Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Industries. Starlink reapplied to India’s space regulator in August for approval to deploy its Gen 2 satellite constellation, including technology that enables direct-to-device connectivity.
Last year, Starlink signed agreements with Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio to expand its service to remote and underserved areas.
The Indian government denied Musk’s allegations, saying, “India’s regulatory framework for satellite communication services is fair and non-discriminatory” and that “the suggestion that the framework or its application is unfair or discriminatory is baseless and misconceived.”
Minister of State for Communications Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani also said the issue was not specific to any one company.
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“The Department of Telecom has issued licences to all satcom companies as well as provisional spectrum. Now the issue is pending with MHA for security clearance. As soon as it is cleared, they will get it. It has nothing to do with one company,” Pemmasani told reporters on the sidelines of the India Mobile Congress in New Delhi.
Musk doubled down on his claims following the Indian government’s response.
“Starlink is licensed in over 165 countries and has spent five years complying with every single law and requirement of the government of India, so why still no licence? Is Ambani the real boss of India?” he wrote.
Former ISRO scientist Radha Krishna Kavuluru responded to Musk’s latest comments, saying, “Those 165 countries may be puppets of Starlink and your government. India is not. Ambani is not the boss of India. Indian citizens are the boss of India. And we need to be protected from crony deep state proxies. I had so much respect for @elonmusk till today. The way he is pushing US Scientific terrorism in India, I lost it.”