Centre on Thursday refuted as "baseless and misconceived" claims made by tech tycoon Elon Musk about "certain oligarchs" blocking his company's satellite communication services in India.
In a statement, the Ministry of Communications said the government has put in place a fair and non-discriminatory authorisation framework for all telecommunication services, including satellite communication services.
The ministry said it has granted telecom licences to three Global Mobile Personal Communication by Satellite (GMPCS) service providers using non-geosynchronous, orbit-based satellite communications. This, it said, is part of the government’s commitment to enable satellite communication services in India.
Under the terms and conditions of the licences, each licensee is required to demonstrate compliance with security requirements. The ministry said the process is aimed at ensuring that the services meet various security requirements to safeguard users and their data.
The security assessment process is currently underway for all three licensees, the ministry said. Once the process is completed for a licensed entity, it can proceed to the next step of seeking spectrum assignment.
"At present, all the three entities are at broadly the same regulatory stage," the ministry said, adding that the suggestion that the framework or its application is unfair or discriminatory is “baseless and misconceived.”
What Elon Musk claimed
Elon Musk has alleged, in a veiled attack on certain telecom operators, that “certain oligarchs” have blocked his company’s satellite communication services in India to maintain their monopoly in the country.
Musk made the remarks in response to a post by the DodgeDesigner handle on X highlighting the lack of mobile coverage in more than 11,000 villages. Musk said: “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!" Musk posted on X.
A verified X account operating under the name DodgeDesigner (@cb_dodge), which regularly posts information related to Elon Musk and his companies, said: "11,256 of India's listed villages still lacked 4G coverage as of May 2026."
The account also wrote "Indian needs Starlink" and shared information about the lack of telecom connectivity in rural parts of the country.
"BharatNet had laid over 850,000 route-km of fibre and made about 221,000 Gram Panchayats service-ready. However, its Points of Presence were reported operational at only 80,472 Gram Panchayats in June 2026," DodgeDesigner claimed.
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Starlink service in India being blocked by Oligarchs: Elon Musk
