Space

Musk Urges Indian Government to Grant Starlink Clearances Amid Delays

By Vivek Dubey

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk criticized the delay in Starlink’s commercial launch in India, targeting Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani in a post on X. Musk called Ambani the “Prime Minister Ambani” and the “real boss of India,” suggesting that Ambani’s influence may be hindering Starlink’s entry. He urged the government to allow Starlink to compete, arguing that the service could bring internet access to underserved areas, benefit children’s education and help small businesses reach global markets. Musk’s remarks follow his earlier claim that unnamed Indian business groups were obstructing Starlink to protect their market positions. The Indian government has denied these allegations, stating that the delay is due to pending regulatory and security clearances rather than preferential treatment for domestic telecom firms. At the India Mobile Congress 2026 in New Delhi, Union Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said India would not permit a monopoly and that three satellite operators—Reliance Jio Satcom, Bharti Airtel‑backed Eutelsat OneWeb, and Starlink—had received licences. Amazon’s Project Kuiper also expressed interest and will go through the standard evaluation process. Scindia noted that the government is finalising the satellite spectrum pricing framework and that security assessments by the Ministry of Home Affairs and other agencies are underway. Commercial operations can begin once the companies meet the required conditions. The government also said security clearances remain pending for all three licensed operators, rejecting the suggestion that Starlink alone faces regulatory hurdles.