India Rejects Musk Claim That Starlink Is Unfairly Blocked

India Ministry of Communications on October 7, 2026 rejected Elon Musk's claim that Starlink is being unfairly blocked from launching in the country, saying its satellite communications regulatory framework is fair and non-discriminatory, according to TechCrunch.

The ministry said Starlink and two other licensed satellite operators are at broadly the same regulatory stage, and that all three are undergoing security assessments before they can seek spectrum.

Musk had accused unnamed oligarchs of blocking Starlink's launch in India to maintain a monopolistic chokehold.

Starlink has spent over five years trying to enter India. It secured key regulatory approvals and partnered with Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel in 2025, and SpaceX appointed former Payoneer executive Prabhakar Jayakumar to lead its India operations in December.

SpaceX first attempted to launch Starlink in India in 2021 and refunded preorders in early 2022 after the government called it out. India later decided to allocate satellite spectrum administratively rather than through an auction, siding with Starlink's preferred approach. This week Starlink launched Starlink Mobile in neighboring Bangladesh.