India says Starlink rules are fair after Musk claim

India’s Ministry of Communications said Thursday that its rules for satellite communication services are fair, after Elon Musk claimed unnamed “oligarchs” were blocking Starlink’s entry into the country.

Starlink, run by Musk’s SpaceX, provides high-speed internet through low Earth orbit satellites and has not yet launched in India. Musk wrote on X on Wednesday that the service was being blocked to protect monopolies, calling it “a crime against the people of India”.

The ministry did not name Musk, but referred to a social media post about the fairness of India’s satellite communications framework. It said India has a “fair and non-discriminatory authorisation framework for all telecommunication services”.

The ministry said telecom licences had been granted to satellite services, but did not name the companies. It said security assessments were underway for all three licensees and that a licensed entity could proceed to the next step once that process was complete.

In March 2025, Mukesh Ambani’s Jio Platforms said it had signed a deal with SpaceX to offer Starlink’s satellite internet service to its customers.