Elon Musk claims ‘oligarchs’ are blocking Starlink in India to protect their monopolies

Dubai: Elon Musk has accused unnamed Indian business interests of blocking the launch of his satellite internet service, Starlink, in the country to protect their market dominance, prompting a response from the Indian government defending its approval process.

The billionaire made the allegations on X while responding to a post claiming that more than 11,000 villages across India still lack mobile network coverage.

“Unfortunately, we are being blocked by certain oligarchs in order to maintain their monopolistic chokehold on the Indian people,” Musk wrote. “You can guess who they are... This is a crime against the people of India!”

Musk did not identify the individuals or companies he was referring to, or provide evidence to substantiate his allegations.

India rejects allegations of unfair treatment

India's government rejected suggestions that its satellite communications approval process was discriminatory.

In a statement issued through India’s Press Information Bureau (PIB), the government said it had established a fair and non-discriminatory authorisation framework for telecommunications services, including satellite communications.

“The suggestion that the framework or its application is unfair or discriminatory is baseless and misconceived,” the statement said.

The government explained that satellite service providers must demonstrate compliance with security requirements, including safeguards intended to protect data. It added that three global satellite communications providers had received licences and that security assessments were underway for all three.

Starlink received its Indian telecommunications licence in 2025 but has yet to launch commercial services in the country.

Why has Starlink not launched in India?

India's telecommunications market is dominated by Reliance Jio, controlled by billionaire Mukesh Ambani, and Bharti Airtel, led by Sunil Bharti Mittal.

Despite competing in the telecommunications market, both companies signed agreements with SpaceX in 2025 to help distribute Starlink services in India. However, commercial operations have yet to begin as Starlink awaits further regulatory clearances and spectrum allocation.

In another post on X, Musk said Starlink would provide high-speed, affordable internet to Indians unable to afford existing services.

Starlink already available in UAE and over 150 markets

While Starlink's Indian launch remains pending, the satellite internet service has expanded across more than 150 countries and territories worldwide.

The UAE officially launched Starlink services in September 2026, following regulatory approval from the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA).

The service is also available in several Middle Eastern countries, including Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, Jordan and Yemen.

In the UAE, residential plans have been advertised from Dh300 per month, although capacity constraints have affected new subscriptions.