Elon Musk has openly questioned the influence of Indian billionaire Mukesh Ambani amid ongoing delays in launching SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet service in India. Musk took to X to accuse unnamed “oligarchs” of blocking Starlink’s entry to preserve their monopolies, calling this obstruction a “crime against the people of India” without offering formal proof. His comments come after the Indian government dismissed Musk’s allegations, reiterating that its regulatory framework is fair and non-discriminatory and emphasizing that Starlink is at the same regulatory stage as two other local satellite internet providers.

Starlink has been attempting to establish a presence in India for over five years, a market with more than a billion internet users. Despite obtaining key regulatory approvals and forming partnerships with telecom giants Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel last year, Starlink has not yet started commercial operations. SpaceX has assembled a local management team and developed infrastructure including more than 20 gateway sites and hundreds of ground antennas, positioning Starlink’s satellite service as a complement to existing terrestrial networks rather than a competitor.

Tensions have arisen around spectrum allocation, an essential aspect for satellite services to operate. Starlink preferred spectrum to be distributed administratively, while Reliance Jio advocated for auctioning the spectrum, a move that could have made Starlink’s market entry more costly. The Indian government ultimately sided with Starlink by adopting administrative allocation, although Jio and Airtel are simultaneously developing their own satellite internet solutions in partnership with other licensed satellite operators.

Despite Starlink’s regulatory hurdles in India, the company is pushing forward in nearby regions, recently launching Starlink Mobile in Bangladesh to connect ordinary phones directly to satellites. Starlink’s vice president of business operations reaffirmed the company’s commitment to India’s universal connectivity goals at the India Mobile Congress. Meanwhile, the exact timeline for Starlink’s India launch remains uncertain amid Musk’s public criticism of Ambani’s influence and ongoing regulatory processes.