The Indian government and Elon Musk engaged in a verbal spat on Thursday after the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) rejected allegations that Starlink's satellite internet services were being delayed due to pressure from domestic business interests, leading the tech tillionaire to question, "Is Ambani the real boss of India?"
Earlier in the day, the government had dismissed allegations of blocking Starlink's satcom services, saying it was mandatory for all satcom licensees in the country to comply with security standards.
Musk Questions Delay In Starlink Licence
Reacting to the government's position, Musk questioned why Starlink had not yet received an operational licence in India despite being licensed in more than 165 countries.
"Starlink is licensed in more than 165 countries and has spent five years complying with all the laws and provisions of the Indian government, so why hasn't it received a license yet?" Musk wrote on X.
Musk further asked, "Is Ambani the real boss of India?"
His remarks came after the Telecom Ministry said India's authorisation framework for telecom and satellite services was "fair and non-discriminatory" and rejected suggestions that it was being selectively enforced as "baseless and misconceived."
What The Centre Said
The government has granted satcom licences to Musk's Starlink, Reliance Jio's JioSatcom and Bharti-backed Eutelsat OneWeb. However, none of the three companies can begin commercial services until the required security assessments and spectrum-related approvals are completed.
The Telecom Ministry said security assessments were currently underway for all three licensees.
According to the ministry, a licensed satcom provider can move to the spectrum allocation stage after completing the mandatory security process. It maintained that all three companies were currently at "broadly the same regulatory stage".
"Nothing To Do With One Company"
Speaking to news agency PTI, Minister of State for Communications Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani said the pending security clearance was with the Ministry of Home Affairs and was not specific to any one company.
"The Department of Telecommunications has given temporary spectrum along with licenses to all satcom companies. Now the matter is pending with the Home Ministry for security clearance. They will receive it as soon as the approval is granted. This has nothing to do with any one company," Pemmasani said on the sidelines of the India Mobile Congress.
His comments came a day after Musk alleged on social media that "certain oligarchs" were attempting to prevent Starlink from operating in India to maintain a "monopolistic chokehold" over the market. Musk did not identify any company in that post.
Musk Says Starlink Is Not Operating in India
Musk also rejected claims that militants in Manipur were using Starlink's service, saying its satellite service is currently shut down in India, the PTI report added.
In another post, he said Starlink's proposed Indian service would expand access to affordable internet connectivity.
"Starlink in India will provide high-speed and affordable internet connectivity to those who cannot afford current prices or who do not have an internet connection at all," Musk said.
Satellite Broadband Market Set For Expansion
India's telecom market is dominated by Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea, while satellite broadband represents a new potential segment that could extend connectivity to remote and underserved areas.
Bharti Airtel Chairman Sunil Bharti Mittal said Eutelsat OneWeb was also awaiting regulatory approval.
Jio Platforms Managing Director Akash Ambani declined to comment on Musk's remarks, saying he had not seen the statement, Jagran.com reported.
Starlink Says It Is Ready To Begin Operations
Earlier on Wednesday, Starlink Vice President of Business Operations Lauren Dreyer said the company was ready to begin operations in India.
Dreyer said Starlink had invested in infrastructure specifically designed to meet Indian regulatory and security requirements.
Starlink has built 20 gateway sites in India equipped with hundreds of antennas and has established controls intended to keep Indian users' data within the country, Dreyer said.
The dispute now centres on the remaining regulatory and security clearances. While the government maintains that Starlink, JioSatcom and Eutelsat OneWeb are being processed under the same regulatory framework, Musk continues to publicly question the delay in Starlink's commercial launch in India.
(With Inputs From PTI)
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