Jyotiraditya Scindia rejects Elon Musk claims that India is blocking Starlink to protect monopolies

India does not allow monopolies in any sector, Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia has said, rejecting Elon Musk's claims that New Delhi is blocking his Starlink satellite internet service to protect domestic billionaires.

Speaking to reporters at the India Mobile Congress, Scindia sought to set the record straight after days of public sparring between Musk and Indian authorities. The minister pointed out that three companies have already been granted satellite communication licences, meaning Starlink is not being singled out or blocked.

"Now let me be very clear, India does not allow monopoly in any sector," Scindia said. "Even as satcom is concerned, there is not a single licensee that has been chosen. Licences have been given to everyone who wants to provide these licences."

Alongside SpaceX's Starlink, Reliance Jio's satellite venture and Bharti-backed Eutelsat OneWeb have secured licences, while Amazon's Kuiper is currently working through the application process.

The dispute over licensing delays

The minister's comments follow an escalation of tension. Musk claimed on social media that Starlink was being "blocked by certain oligarchs" who were keeping a "monopolistic chokehold on the Indian people".

When the communications ministry dismissed the claim as "baseless and misconceived" — asserting that all licence applicants were at "broadly the same regulatory stage" — Musk followed up by asking: "Is Ambani the real boss of India?"

Mukesh Ambani's Reliance Jio is Starlink's main domestic competitor in the race to offer satellite broadband. While Starlink has received its Global Mobile Personal Communications by Satellite (GMPCS) licence from the government, it cannot start commercial services until it secures security clearance and is assigned spectrum.

Scindia said the final hurdles are regulatory, not political. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) and the Department of Telecommunications are close to a final decision on pricing for satellite spectrum, and all operators must satisfy the same security assessments.

Political fallout

The row has quickly turned into a political dispute. Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi mocked the government on social media, writing: "Welcome to India, Elon. Wait till you discover the other guy."

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge also accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government of fostering "duopolies" and wiping out competition in the wider telecoms market, pointing out that the number of telecom players has fallen from 13 in 2014 to just three major private players today.

Scindia brushed off the criticism, suggesting the opposition was merely being opportunist. "I don’t think they themselves know whether they are going left or right," the minister said, arguing that the Congress party previously objected to licences being granted and now complains that others are being excluded.

For its part, Starlink says it is ready to go. Starlink vice-president Lauren Dreyer said the company has already built 20 gateway sites across India and has partnered with Bharti Airtel to help distribute its services. "We are ready to serve once India is ready," Dreyer said.