Elon Musk Accuses Oligarchs of Blocking Starlink in India
Elon Musk claims oligarchs are blocking Starlink's entry into India as the company announces completed ground infrastructure and awaits final government security clearances.
Satellite communications company Starlink announced at the India Mobile Congress 2026 that it has completed the ground infrastructure necessary to begin operations in India. Vice President of Starlink Business Operations Lauren Dreyer stated the company established 20 gateway sites with hundreds of antennas and designed systems to keep Indian user data within the country to meet local security and regulatory requirements.
Despite securing clearances from IN-SPACe and obtaining a Global Mobile Personal Communication by Satellite licence, Starlink is still awaiting final security clearance and foreign direct investment approval from the Indian government. To prepare for launch, the company signed Memorandums of Understanding with telecom operators Airtel and Jio, and letters of intent with the state governments of Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Meghalaya.
Following these announcements, CEO Elon Musk alleged on X that certain oligarchs are blocking Starlink's entry into the Indian market to maintain a "monopolistic chokehold on the Indian people," describing the situation as a "crime against the people of India." Starlink is currently competing for market entry against Reliance Jio, Amazon Leo, and Eutelsat OneWeb. The company recently resubmitted an application to the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre for its Gen 2 satellite constellation, which would include direct-to-device connectivity.
