Elon Musk accused unnamed Indian business figures of blocking Starlink’s entry into India. On October 7 he wrote on X that certain oligarchs were keeping a monopolistic chokehold on Indian internet users.

India’s telecom ministry rejected the charge on Thursday. It said three licensed satellite operators were at broadly the same regulatory stage, with security assessments under way for each of them.

Starlink, Reliance Jio’s satellite venture and Bharti-backed Eutelsat OneWeb have all secured early approvals. None can start commercial service until spectrum is assigned and security clearances are complete.

The wait has stretched for about four years for Starlink. Spectrum allocation is the key missing step, and the ministry says it can only follow completed security procedures. Musk’s rivals, Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel, dominate the telecom market.

Analysts estimate India’s satellite broadband market could be worth 1.9 billion dollars by 2030. For now, all three operators remain in the same licensing queue, and the ministry calls claims of bias baseless.

The row adds a diplomatic layer to the issue. The US has pushed Starlink’s market access as a goodwill marker in trade talks, while New Delhi and Washington have struggled to finalise a trade deal.