{
  "id": 13080502,
  "title": "Starlink row turns political: Who is blocking Musk in India?",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/09/starlink-row-turns-political-who-is-blocking-musk-in-india",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-10-09T09:23:46.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Gulf News",
    "slug": "gulf-news",
    "url": "https://gulfnews.com/business/starlink-row-turns-political-who-is-blocking-musk-in-india-1.500704336"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In October 2026, SpaceX founder Elon Musk and Indian opposition leader Rahul Gandhi united on X, formerly known as Twitter, to criticize the Indian government's refusal to approve Starlink's licence to extend its services in the country. Musk expressed his frustration on X, questioning whether Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani holds the true power in India. Gandhi responded, \"Welcome to India, Elon. Wait till you discover the other guy.\" The situation seemed troubling to Musk as he thanked Gandhi in his tweet.\n\nRajeev Chandrasekhar, a former union minister under the Modi government, defended India's stance on satellite communication approvals. He argued that patience is necessary in such cases and clarified that Reliance Jio, Airtel, and Starlink are all at a similar stage of security clearance. After spectrum allocation, the process would follow, according to Chandrasekhar. He praised Starlink's technology and its potential to revolutionize mobility innovation, but criticized Gandhi for alleging that the telecom sector has been plagued by opacity and corruption due to cronyism under the previous Congress government.\n\nMusk's posts on X generated significant reactions, with Chandrasekhar addressing the issue directly. He sarcastically referred to Rahul Gandhi as Musk's latest fan, highlighting the ongoing tension between Musk and the Indian government over the Starlink service.",
  "summary": "Dubai: Elon Musk and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi found common ground on X on October 8, as both raised questions against the Indian government and how it has failed when it comes to Starlink’s launch in the country. Musk claimed that Starlink complied with all Indian laws for five years yet it still hasn't got an approval for a licence to extend its services to India. Musk has been posting his…",
  "key_points": [
    "Elon Musk and Rahul Gandhi criticize Indian government's refusal to approve Starlink's licence.",
    "Musk questions Mukesh Ambani's power in India on X.",
    "Rajeev Chandrasekhar defends India's stance on satellite communication approvals."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}