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The Centre on Thursday rejected SpaceX CEO Elon Musk's allegations that Starlink's India plans were being blocked, saying the authorisation framework for all telecom services, including satellite communications, is non-discriminatory and fair.
Terming Musk's allegations "baseless" and "misconceived", the Ministry of Communications stated that demonstrating compliance with security norms is mandatory for every satcom licensee.
The statement from the Ministry follows a post by Elon Musk who had claimed that the India plans of his satellite communication company Starlink were being blocked by 'certain oligarchs'.
In a statement issued by the Press Information Bureau, the Ministry stated, "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.
Earlier, in a reply to a post on X that had claimed to cite reasons for why India needs Starlink, Musk alleged that the company was being blocked by 'oligarchs'.
Musk said, "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 post was in reply to another post by the X handle DogeDesigner which claimed that Starlink could give underserved communities in India another route to high-speed broadband. According to the post Starlink's satellite network could bring high-speed internet to remote villages in India and this could help reach more people, reason enough to complete clearance to begin commercial service.
On October 7, Vice President, Starlink Business Operations Lauren Dreyer while speaking at India Mobile Congress 2026 said the company had developed India-specific security controls and has built 20 gateway sites in India, adding, the company is “keeping Indian users’ data within India.”
Dreyer said Starlink has invested in building the infrastructure required to serve the Indian market. The Indian government has granted licences to three satellite communication companies, including Starlink, to offer services in the country.
“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 said.
The Starlink VP further added that the company has already invested in and built ground infrastructure in India, including 20 gateway sites with hundreds of antennas, and established operations to begin serving the market.
"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," Dreyer said, highlighting, “What India has achieved digitally is extraordinary.”
Dreyer said Starlink has been working closely with Indian regulators, industry stakeholders and operators for the past five years to adapt its operations to India’s requirements and prepare to serve the market.
In June this year, Dreyer had refuted reports that claimed India had frozen the approval process for Starlink over geopolitical and security concerns. Dreyer said that Starlink remains in active negotiations with the Indian government to launch its commercial satellite internet services.
(With inputs from ANI)
