Terminals may have been found in Manipur. Musk’s answer: beams are off, so no Starlink device can connect in India. He still says oligarchs are keeping the service out.
BY PC Bureau
Octobe 8: Elon Musk said Wednesday that Starlink’s satellite beams are switched off over India, calling claims that the service has been used in the country “absolutely false” — the same day he accused unnamed Indian “oligarchs” of blocking the network’s commercial launch to protect a telecom monopoly.
“Starlink beams are turned off over India, so the claim that they were used by anyone for any reason is absolutely false,” Musk wrote on X.
His post came in response to claims that militants in India had used Starlink terminals. The argument was that while Starlink hardware may be found in the country, terminals cannot connect to the network while its satellite coverage is disabled over India.
The exchange followed reports of Starlink equipment being seized from militants in Manipur months ago, raising concerns that the technology could be misused by armed groups. The timing of Musk’s clarification is significant: he appears to be trying to silence those who have opposed Starlink’s clearance in India on security grounds.
Starlink beams are turned off over India, so the claim that they were used by anyone for any reason is absolutely false https://t.co/y3R2L5JV7h
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 7, 2026
Indian rules require satellite operators to disable terminals bought outside the country and ensure terminals sold in India cannot operate abroad.
The issue first surfaced in December 2024, when security forces recovered a Starlink dish and router during a joint operation in Imphal East. The equipment was found alongside weapons and ammunition, and the router reportedly carried markings linking it to the Revolutionary People’s Front (RPF) and its armed wing, the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), a banned Meitei insurgent group. The Army’s Spear Corps released photographs of the recovery, prompting security agencies to investigate how Starlink equipment had reached Manipur despite the service not being authorised in India.
The seizure raised security concerns because satellite internet could potentially provide insurgent groups with communications that are harder to disrupt during internet shutdowns, particularly in remote areas near the Myanmar border. But the recovery of a Starlink terminal did not, by itself, establish that it had been operational in India. Authorities were also investigating whether the device had been smuggled into the country or brought across the Myanmar border, where Starlink service was available. The device was subsequently examined by Indian agencies, while Musk said Starlink’s satellite beams were switched off over India.
Read: Musk alleges ‘oligarchs’ blocking Starlink’s India launch
Musk’s ‘oligarchs’ claim
Hours earlier, Musk had made a separate accusation over Starlink’s delayed India launch.
“Unfortunately, we 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 wrote on X.
Musk did not name any individual or company or provide evidence for the claim.
Bloomberg, CNBC, the South China Morning Post and Indian media reports have interpreted the reference as pointing to Mukesh Ambani and Sunil Bharti Mittal, whose Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel together account for more than 80% of India’s broadband subscribers. Both groups also have interests in satellite communications through Jio Satellite and Bharti-backed Eutelsat OneWeb.
SpaceX has commercial arrangements with both Jio and Airtel, but neither has yet resulted in a public Starlink launch.
Why Starlink is still waiting
Starlink already holds a Global Mobile Personal Communications by Satellite (GMPCS) authorisation from the Department of Telecommunications. It still requires security clearance and spectrum assignment before commercial operations can begin.
At the India Mobile Congress on Wednesday, Starlink vice-president Lauren Dreyer said the company had built 20 gateway sites with hundreds of antennas and established controls to keep Indian user data within the country.
“We are standing ready to serve India. Once India is ready,” she said, adding that the company hoped to begin operations by 2027.
Security clearance has emerged as a key reported hurdle, with concerns raised over the presence of Starlink terminals in conflict zones and in India’s northeast, even though the service is not authorised for commercial use in India.
The spectrum question is another unresolved issue. Starlink, OneWeb and Jio Satellite are awaiting final terms for spectrum allocation before commercial satellite broadband can begin.
Musk’s two posts therefore address two different questions. His first says Starlink is not operating in India despite the presence of its hardware. His second blames unnamed business interests for delaying its authorised launch.
Neither post provides evidence that the alleged “oligarchs” are responsible for the regulatory decisions on security clearance or spectrum, which formally rest with the Indian government.
