Oligarchs blocking Starlink service in India: Elon Musk

New Delhi: US business tycoon Elon Musk, in a veiled attack on certain telecom operators, alleged that "certain oligarchs" have blocked his company's satellite communication services in India to maintain their monopoly in the country.

In response to information posted by the DodgeDesigner handle on social media platform X about the non-availability of mobile coverage in over 11,000 villages, Musk said: "Unfortunately, we are being blocked by certain oligarchs in order to maintain their monopolistic chokehold on the Indian people.

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"You can guess who they are... This is a crime against the people of India!" Musk posted on X.

A verified account operating in the name of DodgeDesigner (@cb_dodge), which is known to be posting information related to Elon Musk and his firms, said, "11,256 of India's listed villages still lacked 4G coverage as of May 2026."

The account mentioned "Indian needs Starlink" and shared information about the lack of telecom connectivity in the country's rural area.

"BharatNet had laid over 850,000 route-km of fibre and made about 221,000 Gram Panchayats service-ready. However, its Points of Presence were reported operational at only 80,472 Gram Panchayats in June 2026," DodgeDesigner said.

The development comes on the day India started its apex telecom sector event, India Mobile Congress (IMC), which will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday.

Earlier in the day, a senior official of Musk-led SpaceX announced that the company's satellite communication arm is ready to start services in India.

Speaking at India Mobile Congress 2026, SpaceX's Starlink Business Operations Vice President Lauren Dreyer said the company has made an investment in setting up the required infrastructure to serve the Indian market.

"We've built our Starlink operations specifically for India in recognition of Indian security requirements and other regulations, establishing controls at every layer for India, and keeping Indian user data within India," she said.

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The government has granted licences to three companies, including Starlink, to provide satellite communication services in India.

However, the satcom companies need spectrum and security clearance to start their services.

"We've already made the investment and built the existing ground infrastructure here, 20 gateway sites comprising hundreds of antennas, and we've established the operations to be ready to serve India," Dreyer said.

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