Starlink India Delay: Government Sources Say Musk’s Firm Was Last to Apply and File Security Papers

The government has pushed back against the idea that Elon Musk’s Starlink is being kept out of India, with officials saying the satellite internet company’s own paperwork has been the slowest of the lot.

According to government sources cited in an ANI report on Friday, India welcomes every satellite communication (satcom) provider and has no plan to reserve the market for any one company. But Starlink was the last to apply for entry and reportedly took the longest to submit its compliance documents. Eutelsat OneWeb filed first, followed by Jio, and Starlink came third.

What still stands in the way

• The government has yet to settle how satellite spectrum will be allocated and priced.
• All licensed operators must meet prescribed security requirements before they can sell services.

Officials said completing these steps would help the wider satcom sector grow. Several companies, including Starlink, OneWeb, Jio Satellite Communications and Amazon, are waiting on approvals.

The Musk row

Musk has publicly criticised India’s approval process, claiming that unnamed “oligarchs” were blocking Starlink to protect their hold on the telecom market, and later asked on X whether Mukesh Ambani was the real power in India. The Ministry of Communications rejected the charge, saying its framework is fair and non-discriminatory and that Starlink, Jio Satcom and OneWeb all still need security clearances and other approvals before launching commercially.

Until those clearances come through, none of the licensed operators can offer satellite internet commercially.

Featured image: Starlink Dish — Ka23 13, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Sources

• Business Today — Starlink’s India entry: Govt sources reveal what delayed its application