The Centre has rejected Elon Musk’s allegation that “certain oligarchs” are blocking Starlink’s entry into India to protect their monopoly, insisting that the country’s regulatory framework for satellite communication services is fair and non-discriminatory.
The Ministry of Communications said all telecom operators, including satellite communication companies, are subject to the same authorisation framework and security requirements. It also said Starlink is currently at broadly the same regulatory stage as the two other companies that have received licences to provide satellite communication services in India.
The government’s clarification came after Musk claimed on X that Starlink was being prevented from launching in India in order to preserve a “monopolistic chokehold” over Indian consumers.
Three companies have received licences
India has so far granted Unified Licence authorisation for Global Mobile Personal Communication by Satellite, or GMPCS, services to three companies: Starlink Satellite Communication, Bharti-backed Eutelsat OneWeb and Jio Satellite Communications, a wholly owned subsidiary of Jio Platforms.
Amazon Leo, formerly known as Amazon Kuiper, is also seeking approval to operate in the country. The government said in a parliamentary reply earlier this year that its application remained under examination.
The Department of Telecommunications’ GMPCS portal also lists Jio Satellite Communications, OneWeb India Communications and Starlink Satellite Communication as the three licensees with GMPCS authorisation.
The Communications Ministry said the licences have been issued under a framework covering non-geosynchronous satellite orbit-based communications, as part of the government’s policy to enable satellite communication services in India.
It rejected suggestions that the rules were being selectively applied to Starlink.
“A post is being circulated in social media regarding the fairness of India's regulatory framework for satellite communication services and suggesting that it is being applied in a discriminatory manner,” the ministry said, adding that the suggestion that the framework or its application was unfair or discriminatory was “baseless and misconceived”.
Security checks holding up final approval
While GMPCS licences have been granted, companies must still meet security-related conditions before they can move towards spectrum assignment and commercial operations.
The ministry said every licensee is required to demonstrate compliance with security conditions. These checks are intended to ensure that the services meet requirements concerning the safety of users and their data.
“Security assessment as part of this process is currently under way in respect of all three licensees,” the ministry said.
Once the process is completed for an individual licensee, it can proceed to the next stage of seeking spectrum assignment.
This means Starlink’s licence by itself does not amount to final approval to begin commercial operations. More than a year after securing its GMPCS licence, the company is still awaiting the remaining approvals.
The government has stressed that the three licensed operators are broadly at the same regulatory stage, undercutting the suggestion that Starlink is being singled out.
Musk accuses unnamed ‘oligarchs’
Musk made his allegation on X on Wednesday, saying Starlink was being blocked by unnamed “oligarchs” seeking to retain their hold over the Indian market.
“Unfortunately, we are being blocked by certain oligarchs in order to maintain their monopolistic chokehold on the Indian people,” Musk wrote.
He did not name the individuals or companies he was referring to.
His remarks came just hours after a senior SpaceX executive said Starlink was ready to begin providing services in India once the government gave the final approvals.
Starlink says India infrastructure is ready
Lauren Dreyer, vice-president of Starlink Business Operations at SpaceX, said at India Mobile Congress 2026 that the company had already invested in infrastructure specifically designed for the Indian market.
Dreyer said Starlink had built its operations around Indian security requirements and other regulations, with controls established at every layer and Indian user data kept within the country.
The company, she said, had already established 20 gateway sites across India, equipped with hundreds of antennas, and had set up the operational infrastructure required to serve customers.
“We've already made the investment and built the existing ground infrastructure here, 20 gateway sites comprising hundreds of antennas, and we've established the operations to be ready to serve India,” Dreyer said.
She added that Starlink had developed its Indian operations specifically in recognition of the country’s security requirements.
Regulatory clearance remains the final hurdle
The dispute comes as India seeks to expand satellite-based connectivity, particularly in rural, remote and underserved areas where conventional terrestrial networks can be difficult to deploy.
Government data submitted to Parliament earlier this year showed that Starlink, OneWeb and Jio had received GMPCS authorisations, while Amazon’s application was still being examined. The government also said satellite services could help address last-mile connectivity in remote, coastal, border and mountainous areas.
For Starlink, however, the remaining security assessment and subsequent spectrum assignment continue to stand between the company and a commercial launch.
The Communications Ministry’s position is that these requirements apply equally to all three licensed operators and that there is no preferential or discriminatory treatment in the process.