Indeed troubling: Musk responds to Rahul Gandhi amid Starlink entry row

In an earlier post, Musk questioned the delay in granting Starlink a licence, saying the company was authorised to operate in more than 165 countries | Image: Bloomberg

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk on Thursday (local time) called the situation surrounding Starlink's efforts to enter the Indian market "troubling" in response to Leader of Opposition (LoP)Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, who weighed in on Musk's allegations that the satellite communications company had been unable to secure a licence in India despite complying with the country's laws and requirements.

"Thank you, Rahul. This is indeed troubling," Musk said in a post on X.

Gandhi had earlier replied to Musk's post, which claimed that Starlink was unable to secure a licence despite complying with Indian laws and requirements for five years.

"Welcome to India, Elon. Wait till you discover the other guy," Gandhi wrote on X.

The exchange comes amid a public debate over the regulatory process for Starlink, SpaceX's satellite-based internet service, and Musk's allegations that vested interests are obstructing the company's entry into the Indian market.

In an earlier post, Musk questioned the delay in granting Starlink a licence, saying the company was authorised to operate in more than 165 countries.

"Starlink is licensed in over 165 countries and has spent five years complying with every single law and requirement of the government of India, so why still no license? Is Ambani the real boss of India?" Musk wrote.

In another post, responding to a user who outlined reasons why India needed Starlink, Musk alleged that powerful business interests were preventing the company from entering the market.

"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," he said.

The Ministry of Communications had earlier rejected claims that vested interests were targeting Starlink's plans in India, maintaining that the country's regulatory framework for telecommunications services, including satellite communications, was fair and non-discriminatory.

In its statement, the Ministry said telecom licences had been granted to three global mobile personal communication by satellite service providers operating through non-geosynchronous satellite orbit-based systems.

It said all licensees were required to demonstrate compliance with prescribed security conditions to ensure the safety of users and their data.

"The security assessment as part of this process is currently under way in respect of all three licensees," the Ministry said.