Elon Musk on Thursday again asked why Starlink has no India licence, drawing a cryptic reply from opposition leader Rahul Gandhi.
Musk and Gandhi exchange posts on X
Musk posted on X on Thursday, asking why Starlink still lacks a licence in India. He also asked whether Ambani is the real boss of India.
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 license? Is Ambani the real boss of India?
Gandhi, India's leader of opposition, replied to the post. "Wait till you meet the other one," he wrote.
Musk answered Gandhi with a short remark: "This is indeed troubling."
The exchange followed a post by Musk on Wednesday, in which he accused unnamed interests of holding Starlink back.
Unfortunately, we are being blocked by certain oligarchs in order to maintain their monopolistic chokehold on the Indian people. You can guess who they are …This is a crime against the people of India!
The ministry rejects the claim
India's Ministry of Communications rejected the allegation. It said the satellite communications framework is fair and non-discriminatory, and called any suggestion of unfairness baseless and misconceived.
The ministry also said Starlink, Eutelsat OneWeb and Jio Satellite Communications are at broadly the same regulatory stage. All three are waiting for security clearance and spectrum assignment.
The ministry's position has been reported in two versions. Hindustan Times carried the "same stage" statement, while the Indian Express reported that the ministry had not yet approved any applicant to offer satellite communication services in India.
What Starlink holds and what it still lacks
The government has granted Starlink a Global Mobile Personal Communications by Satellite (GMPCS) licence. It had earlier secured an operator licence from the Department of Telecommunications, three years after first applying.
IN-SPACe authorised its satellite constellation last July. Industry executives said that was the final regulatory approval required for an India launch. Before commercial service can begin, Starlink must still obtain final security clearances and a spectrum allocation.
SpaceX first tried to launch Starlink in India in 2021. In early 2022 it had to refund preorders for its equipment, after the Indian government called it out for taking bookings for a service before holding the necessary licences.
Musk said Starlink has spent five years complying with every legal requirement in India. Another report puts the time spent trying to enter the market at more than five years.
Security rules, some amended last May, require SpaceX to disable Starlink receivers bought outside India. They also require it to disable terminals sold in India when they are used abroad, on top of extensive surveillance requirements.
Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani, Minister of State for Communications, said the Ministry of Home Affairs is looking into security issues linked to satcom services.
Lauren Dreyer, a Starlink vice-president, spoke at the India Mobile Congress in Delhi. She said the company set up 20 gateway sites with hundreds of antennas, and shaped its India operations around the country's security requirements.
We are ready to serve in India, once India is ready
| Starlink | Jio Satellite Communications | Eutelsat OneWeb | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Licences held | GMPCS licence, operator licence, IN-SPACe authorisation | Not stated | Not stated |
| Partner or backer | Distribution deals with Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel (March 2025), subject to approval | SES, on satellite broadband | Bharti Airtel, a major backer |
| Infrastructure | 20 gateway sites with hundreds of antennas | Around 1,600 LEO satellites and 23 ground stations planned, per local media reports | Not stated |
| Still awaiting | Security clearance and spectrum assignment | Security clearance and spectrum assignment | Security clearance and spectrum assignment |
Jio and Airtel pursue their own plans
Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel together control about 80% of India's telecom and internet market. In March 2025 each signed an agreement with SpaceX to sell Starlink equipment and services in the country, pending approval from the government.
Both companies also have satellite plans of their own. Jio is working with the satellite operator SES, while Airtel is a major backer of Eutelsat OneWeb.
Akash Ambani, chairman of Reliance Jio Infocomm and son of Mukesh Ambani, said Jio is building satellite communications technology of its own and pursuing the regulatory approvals it needs.
We want to be heads down and deliver value to our Indian consumers.
Ambani also told Moneycontrol on Thursday that "India needs its own indigenous stack of technologies".
Sunil Bharti Mittal, chairman of Bharti Airtel, said his company's satellite venture is also waiting for government approvals.
The two companies have also been on opposite sides of a spectrum dispute. Starlink pushed for satellite spectrum to be assigned administratively, while Reliance Jio argued it should be auctioned. India ultimately backed the administrative route that Starlink preferred.
Reliance Jio argues that the Supreme Court's 2012 2G spectrum judgement bars administrative assignment of satellite spectrum. The Union government has received legal opinions from the company, among them one from 2024 by retired Supreme Court justice L. Nageshwar Rao.
Price and access are part of the argument
Musk framed the licence question as one of affordability and reach.
Starlink in India would enable high-speed, affordable internet connectivity for those who can’t afford current prices or who don’t have a connection at all!
He also said Starlink would help areas of India with bad or no internet, and even no mobile coverage.
Starlink's Indian website showed a temporary placeholder price last year, Rs 8,600 per month. It is not known how affordable the service would be, especially in rural areas.
Where the reports differ and what is unknown
The reported country counts differ. Musk says Starlink is licensed in more than 165 countries, while its 11,000 satellites serve people in over 170 countries and territories, CNBC reported.
Two country counts
Musk's claim
Licensing
- Licensed in more than 165 countries
- Five years spent complying in India
CNBC report
Service
- Service in over 170 countries and territories
- 11,000 satellites in orbit
New Delhi had frozen approvals for Starlink earlier this year, Bloomberg reported. The reason given was concern that its terminals could be used even though the service is not licensed. The pack does not confirm this.
Requests for comment from the BBC and CNBC went unanswered by Reliance Industries and Reliance Group. Reliance Jio did not respond to The Indian Express before publication. TechCrunch got no immediate response from Starlink, the Ministry of Communications, Reliance Jio or Bharti Airtel.
What we know
- The ministry says the framework is fair and non-discriminatory.
- Starlink, Eutelsat OneWeb and Jio Satellite Communications all await security clearance and spectrum assignment, according to the ministry.
- Starlink holds a GMPCS licence.
Still unclear
- Whether Starlink will receive final security clearance and spectrum allocation.
- The exact timing of any India launch.
- Whether approvals have been frozen, as Bloomberg reported.
- How affordable the service would be, especially in rural areas.
- Whether Reliance, Jio, Airtel and the ministry will respond to requests for comment.
- 2021First attempt SpaceX first tries to launch Starlink in India.
- Early 2022Preorder refunds SpaceX refunds preorders after the government objects to bookings taken before licensing.
- March 2025Distribution deals Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel sign agreements with SpaceX, subject to approval.
- Last JulyIN-SPACe authorisation The authorisation follows an earlier operator licence from the Department of Telecommunications.
- DecemberIndia head named SpaceX appoints former Payoneer executive Prabhakar Jayakumar to lead its India operations.
- This weekBangladesh launch Starlink launches Starlink Mobile in neighbouring Bangladesh.
- 2027Hoped-for India launch Lauren Dreyer says she hopes the service will be live in India.
Dreyer said at the India Mobile Congress that she hoped the service would be live in India by 2027. No official launch date has been set.
