Communications minister Jyotiraditya Scindia says India is pursuing a technology-neutral approach, with three providers licensed but still awaiting security clearance and spectrum rules.
India’s communications minister has pushed back against claims that the country is favouring one company in the race to launch satellite internet, saying the government does not permit monopoly and that multiple firms have already cleared the first licensing hurdle.
Speaking at India Mobile Congress, Jyotiraditya Scindia said the Department of Telecommunications is taking a technology-neutral approach and wants to offer customers a wider menu of services rather than steer them towards any one provider. He said Starlink, Jio Satellite Communications and Bharti-backed Eutelsat OneWeb have all received satellite communications licences, while Amazon’s Kuiper would have to go through the normal approval process before entering the market.
Scindia said those licence holders still cannot begin service until they satisfy security requirements individually and the government finalises the spectrum charging framework. He added that the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India and the telecom department are close to deciding how satellite spectrum should be priced, which would then allow allocations to proceed. The minister also used the briefing to criticise the opposition Congress party, accusing it of shifting its position amid the broader political row.
The comments come after a public dispute involving Elon Musk, who accused unnamed “oligarchs” of blocking Starlink’s entry into India to preserve a “monopolistic chokehold” on the country’s users. India’s communications ministry rejected the allegation, saying its satellite services framework is fair and non-discriminatory and that every operator must comply with security rules before launch. Musk then questioned the influence of Mukesh Ambani, the Reliance Industries chairman, and asked why Starlink was still waiting for approval despite saying the company has spent years meeting Indian requirements.
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