By The South Asia Times

NEW DELHI - SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has accused unnamed Indian business interests of blocking Starlink’s entry into the country, saying they are seeking to preserve a “monopolistic chokehold” over India’s telecommunications market.

Musk made the remarks on X in response to a post of DogeDesigner highlighting gaps in India’s internet and mobile coverage and calling for remaining regulatory clearances and spectrum allocation to allow the satellite internet service to begin commercial operations.

“Unfortunately, we are being blocked by certain oligarchs in order to maintain their monopolistic chokehold on the Indian people,” Musk said. “You can guess who they are … This is a crime against the people of India!”

Musk did not identify the companies or individuals he was referring to.

Starlink said 11,256 villages in India still lacked 4G coverage as of May 2026, despite the country having more than 1.09 billion internet subscriptions in March.

The figures highlighted a significant urban-rural divide. India had about 440.87 million rural internet subscriptions, with rural subscription density standing at 48.31 per 100 people, compared with 126.80 per 100 people in urban areas.

Starlink argued that satellite broadband could provide an alternative for communities where extending fibre-optic or mobile infrastructure is difficult because of geography, limited commercial viability or other infrastructure constraints.

India’s government-backed BharatNet programme has laid more than 850,000 route-kilometres of fibre and made about 221,000 Gram Panchayats, or village councils, service-ready. However, Starlink said only 80,472 Gram Panchayats had operational Points of Presence as of June 2026.

Only about 4.26% of India’s internet subscriptions were wired connections in March, according to the figures cited by Starlink.

Lauren Dreyer, SpaceX’s vice president of Starlink business operations, said at the India Mobile Congress that Starlink had already established 20 gateway sites in India.

Dreyer said Starlink was ready to support Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s goal of achieving universal connectivity across the country, highlighting potential applications in remote education, telemedicine and disaster response.

“With Starlink, people can get connected within minutes, not years,” she said.

Starlink also said it had developed India-specific security controls intended to keep Indian user data within the country.

The company said its satellite network could provide high-speed internet to remote villages, mountainous areas and islands where conventional infrastructure is expensive or difficult to deploy.

- Potential beyond broadband

Starlink said satellite connectivity could support rural schools, healthcare facilities and small businesses, while portable terminals could provide backup communications during floods, earthquakes and storms that disrupt terrestrial networks.

The company also pointed to its Direct to Cell technology, which could allow compatible 4G phones to connect through satellites beyond conventional cellular tower coverage, subject to regulatory approval and partnerships with Indian mobile operators.

The remarks come as Starlink continues efforts to secure regulatory approvals and spectrum access needed to launch commercial services in India.

Musk’s accusation adds a sharper political and corporate dimension to the debate, with Starlink seeking access to one of the world's largest and fastest-growing internet markets while India weighs how satellite broadband should operate alongside established telecommunications providers.