SpaceX CEO Elon Musk on Thursday again questioned why Starlink has not received a licence to operate in India, saying the company has spent years meeting the government's requirements.
"Starlink is licensed in over 165 countries and has spent five years complying with every single law and requirement of the government of India, so why still no license? Is Ambani the real boss of India?" Musk wrote on X.
The post came in response to a social media post by Gagandeep Singh Sapra, who said he had seen Starlink's files waiting for comments at state-owned Telecommunications Consultants India Ltd (TCIL).
Sapra, who said he has worked in India's data-centre industry for more than 30 years, argued that regulation should encourage competition rather than protect established players.
"I've personally seen Starlink files sitting under piles of files at TCIL waiting for comments," Sapra wrote.
He said India needs KYC and security checks but added: "regulation should enable competition, not protect incumbents from it."
Musk says Starlink can fill internet gaps
Musk's latest comments came a day after he accused unnamed "oligarchs" of blocking Starlink in India.
"Unfortunately, we 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!" he had said on Wednesday.
In another post, Musk said Starlink could help people in parts of India with poor or no internet and mobile coverage. "Starlink will be of great help to areas of India that have bad or no Internet and even no mobile coverage," he said.
Govt says all satellite firms face same process
The Ministry of Communications rejected Musk's suggestion of discriminatory treatment as "baseless and misconceived" and said India's regulatory framework for satellite communication services is fair and non-discriminatory.
The ministry said 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," the ministry said. "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."
Once the assessment is completed, a licensed entity can proceed to seek spectrum assignment, it said.
The ministry said all three entities are currently at "broadly the same regulatory stage".
Rahul Gandhi Reacts To Musk's Starlink Licence Row
