Elon Musk speaking at the US Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs in April 2022.
Credit: Trevor Cokley / US Air Force Academy
Elon Musk has accused unnamed oligarchs of keeping Starlink out of India, as Brendan Ruberry reported for Semafor. India’s government has rejected the claim.
“Unfortunately, we are being blocked by certain oligarchs in order to maintain their monopolistic chokehold on the Indian people,” Musk wrote on X, Forbes reported.
“This is a crime against the people of India!” he added.
He did not name anyone. But in another post, he asked: “Is Ambani the real boss of India?”
Mukesh Ambani’s Jio and Sunil Mittal’s Airtel control about 80% of India’s telecom market, Semafor said.
“Baseless and misconceived”
India’s communications ministry hit back on Thursday, without naming Musk or Starlink.
“The suggestion that the framework or its application is unfair or discriminatory is baseless and misconceived,” it said, Al Jazeera reported.
The ministry said three satellite firms are at about the same stage and all face security checks. The others are Jio’s satellite arm and OneWeb India.
Waiting since 2022
Starlink has sought to launch in India since 2022. It won a key licence last year but still lacks final approval.
In June, security agencies held back clearances after Starlink was switched on in Iran, where it has no licence.
Jio is now planning its own satellite network to rival Starlink. Last year, Jio and Airtel had agreed to sell Starlink kit, but those ties appear to have soured.
A SpaceX executive, Lauren Dreyer, has said she hopes for approval next year, Forbes reported. SpaceX says it has built 20 ground stations in India.
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