India denies bias in satellite internet approvals after Musk’s ’oligarchs’ jab

Bengaluru, Oct 8 - India's satellite internet approval process maintained its fairness and impartiality on Thursday, according to a statement from the country's telecommunications ministry, just hours after billionaire Elon Musk alleged that unidentified "oligarchs" were preventing Starlink's launch in the South Asian nation. Musk, using the social media platform X, did not specify any names, but the claim came after India's dominant telecommunications firms, Reliance Jio led by Mukesh Ambani and Bharti Airtel's Sunil Mittal, secured early approvals for their satellite internet ventures in the country.

These ventures, alongside Musk's Starlink, had secured spectrum assignment and final clearances, with the wait stretching on for four years due to scrutiny over security requirements and access to spectrum.

Responding to Musk's accusation, India's telecommunications ministry firmly denied any bias or discrimination in the regulatory framework. The ministry clarified that three entities were at a similar stage in the regulatory process, all undergoing security assessments. The ministry dismissed Musk's claim as "baseless and misconceived." The dispute between Musk, Mittal, and Ambani over spectrum allocation dates back to 2025, when the three parties eventually signed separate deals to distribute Starlink devices in India.

Starlink, a part of Musk's SpaceX, has access to a satellite broadband market that Deloitte predicts will reach $1.9 billion by 2030. The timing of this development has diplomatic implications, as the US has utilized Starlink's market access as a goodwill gesture in trade negotiations with countries hit by tariffs. Simultaneously, India and the US have struggled to finalize a trade deal since reaching a framework agreement in February.

Security concerns have also arisen following the recovery of Starlink equipment in India. Indian authorities discovered Starlink devices during a drug seizure operation in the Andaman and Nicobar islands and an army search in Manipur state in late 2024. Musk later claimed that Starlink's satellite beams had been turned off over India and never turned on in the first place, a statement he reiterated on Wednesday.