‘Baseless and misconceived’: Centre rebuts Musk’s ‘blocked entry’ charge on Starlink India
American billionaire Elon Musk alleged that Starlink’s entry into India was being “blocked” by certain “oligarchs” seeking to protect their “monopolistic chokehold”
The Ministry of Communications in India firmly denied allegations made by American tech mogul Elon Musk that the country's satellite communication services are being unfairly restricted. Musk claimed on Wednesday (October 7, 2026) that Starlink's entry into India was being "blocked" by powerful individuals or groups aiming to preserve their monopoly over the nation's communications.
Musk blamed these oligarchs for creating a "monopolistic chokehold" on the Indian people. The government responded vigorously to Musk's assertions, stating that India has established a transparent and non-discriminatory licensing system for all telecommunication services, including satellite communications. Under this framework, three Global Mobile Personal Communication by Satellite services were granted licenses based on non-geosynchronous satellite orbits.
The ministry emphasized that all licensees must meet stringent security requirements, which are currently under assessment for each of the three entities. While the process is ongoing, the ministry maintained that the framework and its implementation are fair and transparent, dismissing Musk's claims as "baseless and misconceived."
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- Musk attacks Indian ‘oligarchs’ for locking out Starlink freemalaysiatoday.com
