Elon Musk’s latest public spat over Starlink’s pending approvals in India took a political turn after Rahul Gandhi on Thursday backed the billionaire’s criticism, reviving questions about the Congress party’s earlier stand on the satellite internet company’s entry into the country.
The SpaceX and Tesla chief questioned why Starlink was still awaiting final clearances to begin commercial operations in India despite, as he claimed, spending five years complying with the country’s laws and regulatory requirements. He then asked, “Is Ambani the real boss of India? Gandhi joined the exchange on X, writing, “Welcome to India, Elon. Wait till you discover the other guy”. Musk replied, “Thank you, Rahul. This is indeed troubling”.
On March 13, 2025, senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh questioned the timing of partnerships announced by Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio with Starlink, suggesting that the agreements had been orchestrated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to build goodwill with US President Donald Trump through Musk. Ramesh pointed out that both telecom operators had announced partnerships with Starlink within a 12-hour period, seemingly setting aside objections they had previously raised over the company’s entry into India.
The exchange came hours after the government rejected Musk’s allegations that powerful business interests were blocking Starlink’s entry, insisting that security clearance was mandatory for satellite communication operators. He wrote that the developments raised several questions, particularly over national security and the government’s decision-making. “Who will have the power to switch connectivity on or off when national security demands it? Will it be Starlink or its Indian partners?”, Ramesh asked in his post. He also questioned whether other satellite-based connectivity providers would be permitted to enter the market, and on what basis. Ramesh further raised the question of Tesla’s manufacturing plans in India, asking whether any commitment had been made in return for facilitating Starlink’s entry. At the time, the Congress leader’s criticism centred on the possibility of political considerations influencing the company’s entry into India, as well as the implications for national security and competition. Starlink has secured a licence to provide satellite communication services in India. The government has granted Global Mobile Personal Communications by Satellite (GMPCS) licences to three satellite communication companies, including: Reliance Jio Satellite Communications, Eutelsat OneWeb India Communications (backed by Bharati Airtel) and Starlink owned by Elon Musk. But it still needs security-related clearances and other regulatory approvals before it can launch commercial operations. Musk has alleged that powerful business interests are attempting to block the company’s entry into the Indian market to protect their existing positions. “The Department of Telecom has issued licences to all satcom companies as well as provisional spectrum. Now the issue is pending with MHA for security clearance. As soon as it is cleared, they will get it. The latest exchange between Musk and Gandhi has added a political dimension to an already contentious regulatory issue. the government has maintained that security clearances are a necessary requirement for satellite communication operators While Musk has framed the delay as a question of market access and alleged resistance from powerful business interests. Gandhi’s latest response to Musk, by contrast, has aligned him publicly with the billionaire’s criticism of the government.
It has also brought renewed attention to questions raised by senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh in March 2025, when he questioned the circumstances surrounding Starlink’s partnerships with Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel. The contrast with Congress’ position in March 2025 is particularly striking. Ramesh’s March 2025 post questioned whether the government had facilitated the company’s entry for political reasons and raised concerns over national security and the conditions governing foreign satellite operators.
He initially referred to unnamed “oligarchs” without identifying any company or individual. His latest remarks came after the government rejected suggestions that Starlink was being subjected to discriminatory treatment, describing such allegations as “baseless and misconceived”. Minister of State for Communications Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani said the outstanding issue concerned security clearance from the Ministry of Home Affairs and was not specific to Starlink. It has nothing to do with one company”, Pemmasani told reporters on the sidelines of the India Mobile Congress. Bharti Airtel chairman Sunil Bharti Mittal, whose group backs OneWeb, has also said his satellite venture is awaiting regulatory approvals.
For Congress, the episode also brings its earlier questions about Starlink’s entry back into focus.
