Elon Musk accuses rivals of blocking SpaceX's Starlink in India

SpaceX: SpaceX develops and operates the Starlink satellite broadband network aimed at providing global connectivity. Its executives recently confirmed at an industry event that the company has prepared India-specific operations and infrastructure while awaiting final regulatory steps for commercial service. Elon Musk: Elon Musk leads SpaceX as its founder and chief executive, driving initiatives in space technology and satellite communications. In recent days, he publicly criticized unnamed Indian business figures for allegedly obstructing Starlink's market entry to protect existing telecom positions. Mukesh Ambani: Mukesh Ambani heads Reliance Industries, which operates major telecom services including satellite communications efforts through Jio. The company holds licenses to provide satellite services in India alongside other providers. Sunil Bharti Mittal: Sunil Bharti Mittal founded Bharti Enterprises, operator of Airtel and backer of the Eutelsat OneWeb satellite network. The group has secured relevant licenses for satellite communications operations in India. Regulation: Starlink has obtained a GMPCS authorization and other initial clearances in India but still requires security approvals and foreign direct investment sign-off before launching commercial services. Competition: Starlink operates in India's satellite broadband sector alongside services from entities linked to Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel, both of which also hold satellite communication licenses. Preparedness: SpaceX has built local ground infrastructure including multiple gateway sites in India designed to meet the country's security and data localization requirements.