Musk alleges ‘oligarchs’ blocking Starlink in India, here is what we know so far

Elon Musk has accused certain unnamed oligarchs of blocking Starlink’s entry into India, alleging that they are trying to protect their “monopolistic chokehold” over the country’s people.

Musk made the remarks on Wednesday in a post on X while responding to a post citing government data that 11,256 listed villages lacked 4G coverage as of May 2026. He has previously said Starlink could help connect rural and underserved parts of India.

“Unfortunately, we are being blocked by certain oligarchs to maintain their monopolistic chokehold on the Indian people. You can guess who they are …,” Musk said in the post.

“This is a crime against the people of India!” the Tesla and SpaceX chief added, without naming the individuals or companies he accused.

Starlink says it is ready for India

Musk’s comments came a little over a month after Starlink renewed its efforts to enter the Indian market.

The company had struck a more measured tone at the India Mobile Congress in New Delhi. Lauren Dreyer, vice president of Starlink Business Operations, said the company had spent five years working with Indian regulators, telecom operators and the industry to prepare for its launch.

“We’ve built our Starlink operations specifically for India in recognition of Indian security requirements and other regulations, establishing controls at every layer for India and keeping Indian user data within India,” Dreyer said at the pre-business day of the event.

She said Starlink had already invested in India and built 20 gateway sites with hundreds of antennas. “We’ve established the operations to be ready to serve India,” she said.

Dreyer also said Starlink has 11,000 satellites in orbit and operates in more than 170 countries. She highlighted the challenge of connecting the last mile and said Starlink could provide connectivity within minutes. “With Starlink, people can get connected within minutes, not years.”

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Government clearances still pending

Starlink holds a licence to provide satellite communication services in India, but commercial operations have not started as the company awaits remaining government clearances, including security approvals.

The company already has Global Mobile Personal Communication by Satellite (GMPCS) authorisation, while IN-SPACe authorised its first generation constellation in 2025. Spectrum assignment and security-related requirements are still pending. Starlink has also renewed its push for approval of a larger Gen 2 constellation, including direct-to-device capabilities.

In February, Telecom Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia reiterated that Starlink must meet all security clearance requirements before beginning services in India.

Responding to a question about the Iran incident, where Starlink reportedly began operating without a licence, Scindia said the existing security framework applies equally to all operators.

“We have a performance of what the security rules are. Any operator who complies with those rules will be allowed to operate in India,” the minister said.