New Delhi: The government on Thursday slammed US business tycoon Elon Musk over his allegations that Starlink’s satcom services are being blocked, and made it clear that demonstrating compliance with security norms is an absolute must for every satcom licensee in the country.
The government also emphasised that a fair and non-discriminatory framework is in place for all telecom offerings, including satellite services.
Any suggestion that the framework or its application is unfair or discriminatory is baseless and misconceived, the government said in a statement.
A statement issued by the Ministry of Communications said it had established a fair and non-discriminatory authorisation framework for all telecommunications services, including satellite communications.
The clarification came after Musk alleged on social media platform X on Wednesday that unnamed business interests were preventing Starlink from entering the Indian market to protect their existing dominance.
“Unfortunately, we 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!” Musk said in his post. He did not name any company or individual.
Responding to the allegations, the government said suggestions that its regulatory framework or its implementation was discriminatory were “baseless and misconceived”.
What did the government say about Starlink’s India approvals?
The Ministry of Communications said licences had been granted to three providers offering Global Mobile Personal Communication by Satellite (GMPCS) services using non-geosynchronous satellite orbit systems.
These include Musk-owned Starlink, Bharti Group-backed Eutelsat OneWeb and Reliance Industries-backed Jio Satellite Communications.
Under the licensing conditions, every operator must demonstrate compliance with security requirements before proceeding to the next stage of regulatory approval.
“Security assessment as part of this process is currently under way in respect of all the three licensees,” the ministry said.
It added that the assessments were intended to ensure the safety of users and their data.
Once a licensed entity completes the security assessment, it can proceed to seek spectrum assignment.
“At present, all the three entities are at broadly the same regulatory stage,” the government said, dismissing suggestions of preferential treatment or discrimination.
Why has Starlink’s India launch been delayed?
Starlink has been seeking to enter the Indian market since November 2022 but has faced several regulatory hurdles, particularly relating to security clearance and foreign direct investment approval.
The company received a GMPCS licence from the Department of Telecommunications in June 2025, followed by authorisation from the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe) in July 2025.
However, the company is still awaiting the remaining approvals required to begin commercial operations.
What has Starlink said about its readiness to launch in India?
The government’s clarification comes a day after Starlink said it had already invested in infrastructure and established security controls specifically designed to comply with Indian regulations.
Speaking at the India Mobile Congress on Wednesday, Lauren Dreyer, vice-president of Starlink business operations at SpaceX, said the company had built 20 gateway sites comprising hundreds of antennas in India.
She said Starlink had also established safeguards to ensure that Indian user data remained within the country.
“We have 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.
The company has also established partnerships with Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio as part of its preparations to enter the market.
Dreyer said Starlink was ready to begin providing services once the government completed the necessary approval process.
“We are standing ready to serve India once India is ready,” she said.
