Starlink row turns political: Who is blocking Musk in India?

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 dissatisfaction on X, reacting to which, India's opposition leader Rahul Gandhi chimed in.

In his tweet, Must questioned whether Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani is the “real boss” of India. To which Gandhi replied: “Welcome to India, Elon. Wait till you discover the other guy.” Musk thanked him and called the situation “indeed troubling”.

Rajeev Chandrasekhar, former union minister under the Modi government, responded to Musk's tweet stating "Patience is unavoidable and in this case is a necessity." He defended India’s approach to satellite communication approvals and ruled out trading security for faster market entry.

Chandrasekhar said he no longer speaks for the government, however wanted to bring to Musk's notice that all three satellite licensees (Jio, Airtel & Starlink) sit at broadly the same stage of security clearance, post which spectrum allocation will follow. His post read: "Satellite IP services have many security implications. More so in a country like India which has faced years of Terror and insurgency supported by inmical state actors in our neighbourhood."

He went on to praise Starlink's technology, adding that he has used it himself and called it a 'new era in mobility innovation'.

Chandrasekhar also took a pot shot at Gandhi, alleging that India’s telecom sector was riddled with 'opaqueness and corruption for several decades' under the cronyism of the earlier Congress government. His address to Musk also sarcastically calls Rahul Gandhi, Musk's latest fan.