California: Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX, the parent company of satellite internet provider Starlink, has accused unnamed “oligarchs” of blocking the company’s planned commercial launch in India.
Musk made the remarks in a reply on X to a post by DogeDesigner highlighting India’s connectivity gaps and arguing that Starlink could help provide broadband access to underserved communities.
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!
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 7, 2026
“Unfortunately, we (Starlink) 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 said.
The post cited data showing that 11,256 listed villages in India still lacked 4G coverage as of May 2026. It also said India had 1.093 billion internet subscriptions in March 2026, including 440.87 million rural subscriptions.
Rural subscription density stood at 48.31 per 100 people, compared with 126.80 in urban areas, according to the post. It also noted that only 4.26% of internet subscriptions were wired connections.
DogeDesigner said Starlink could provide another route to high-speed broadband in remote villages, mountains and islands where expanding fibre or mobile networks is difficult or commercially unviable.
The post also highlighted potential applications in education, telemedicine, small businesses and disaster response. It said Starlink had built 20 gateway sites in India and developed India-specific security controls to keep Indian users’ data within the country.
Starlink Says Infrastructure Ready
The comments came after Lauren Dreyer, SpaceX’s vice president of Starlink Business Operations, said at India Mobile Congress 2026 on Tuesday that the company had already built significant infrastructure in India.
“We’ve built our Starlink operations specifically for India in recognition of Indian security requirements and other regulations, establishing controls at every layer for India, and keeping Indian user data within India,” Dreyer said.
She said Starlink had built 20 gateway sites comprising hundreds of antennas and established operations to serve the Indian market.
Dreyer said the company had been working with Indian regulators, industry stakeholders and operators for the past five years to adapt its operations to India’s requirements.
The Indian government has granted licences to three satellite communication companies, including Starlink, to provide services in the country.
Dreyer had also rejected reports in June that India had frozen Starlink’s approval process over geopolitical and security concerns. She said the company remained in active discussions with the government over the launch of its commercial satellite internet services.
Starlink’s commercial launch in India remains subject to regulatory requirements, including spectrum allocation and other clearances.
Follow the NewsMobile WhatsApp Community to get all the latest updates from around the world, directly on your WhatsApp
