‘Baseless and misconceived’: Govt hits back at Elon Musk's ‘oligarchs’ claim on Starlink

New Delhi: India’s Ministry of Communications has firmly defended its regulatory framework governing satellite communication services, maintaining that the nation's policies in the sector remain equitable and impartial.

The ministerial response followed remarks published by SpaceX Chief Executive Elon Musk, who alleged that his satellite internet enterprise, Starlink, was facing obstruction from "certain oligarchs".

In an official release distributed via the Press Information Bureau, the ministry noted: "A post is being circulated in social media regarding the fairness of India’s regulatory framework for satellite communication services and suggesting that it is being applied in a discriminatory manner. The Government has put in place a fair and non-discriminatory authorisation framework for all telecommunication services, including satellite communication services. Under this, telecom licences have been granted to three Global Mobile Personal Communication by Satellite services based on non-geosynchronous satellite orbit based satellite communications, as part of its commitment to enable provision of satellite communication services in India. Under the terms and conditions of license, every such licensee is required to demonstrate compliance with security conditions. This is aimed at ensuring that services provided meet various security requirements to ensure safety of all users and their data. Security assessment as part of this process is currently under way in respect of all the three licensees. As and when this process is completed for a licensed entity, it may proceed to the next step of seeking assignment of spectrum."

"At present, all the three entities are at broadly the same regulatory stage. As such, the suggestion that the framework or its application is unfair or discriminatory is baseless and misconceived," the statement added.

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The controversy arose after Musk responded to a post on X discussing the potential benefits of Starlink for India. Musk alleged that the firm faced deliberate obstacles, stating: "Unfortunately, we (Starlink) are being blocked by certain oligarchs in order to maintain their monopolistic chokehold on the Indian people. You can guess who they are … This is a crime against the people of India."

The remarks were posted in reply to an account named DogeDesigner, which suggested that Starlink could provide high-speed broadband access to remote Indian villages and underserved populations.

Addressing the India Mobile Congress 2026 on October 7, Starlink's Vice President of Business Operations, Lauren Dreyer, stated that the firm had designed India-specific security safeguards and constructed 20 gateway facilities nationwide, emphasising that user data would remain localised.

Dreyer observed that Starlink had committed capital to establish the necessary physical framework to cater to the Indian demographic, noting that government licenses have been issued to three satellite providers, including Starlink.

“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,” she remarked.

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Dreyer added that physical assets, comprising 20 gateway installations equipped with hundreds of antennas, are already in place. "We've already made the investment and built the existing ground infrastructure here, 20 gateway sites comprising hundreds of antennas, and we've established the operations to be ready to serve India," she noted, praising India's digital advancements.

She additionally mentioned that Starlink has engaged with regulatory authorities, industry participants, and operators over the past five years to align its systems with national standards. Earlier in June, Dreyer dismissed reports suggesting that approval proceedings had been stalled due to geopolitical and security factors, affirming that discussions with New Delhi regarding commercial operations remain ongoing.

ANI