New York : Elon Musk on Thursday dismissed claims that Starlink’s satellite internet was being used by insurgent groups in India’s Northeast to circumvent internet shutdowns, saying the company’s satellite beams have been turned off over India. Musk’s clarification came as questions resurfaced over Starlink’s delayed commercial launch in the country. The satellite internet service is still awaiting security clearances before it can begin commercial operations in India.
The incident was highlighted by a news portal, The Modern Himachal, after Musk blamed “certain oligarchs” for “blocking” Starlink’s entry into India. In a post on X, The Modern Himachal said clearances involve more than commercial rivalry and cited the recovery of the Starlink devices in Manipur. An X handle called DogeDesigner, an anonymous account linked to dogecoin projects and frequent engagement with Musk’s posts, challenged the narrative. It stressed that with satellite beams off, no Starlink device can connect in India.
Musk had rejected similar claims in December 2024 after the devices carrying the Starlink label were seized along with arms and ammunition during army raids in Manipur. Starlink is in use in Myanmar, which neighbours Manipur. On Thursday, a fuming Musk cited a “monopolistic chokehold” behind the inordinate delay in Starlink’s India launch. Musk, the world’s richest person, was reacting to a post by DogeDesigner that said Starlink was needed in India due to a large number of villages still not having broadband connectivity.
The government dismissed Musk’s remarks as baseless, asserting that its framework for satellite services like Starlink remained fair and non-discriminatory. Presently, Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel dominate India’s telecom market. In 2025, the Department of Telecom gave satellite communication licences to Starlink, Jio and OneWeb. However, they are yet to begin full commercial services.
The concerns were amplified after Starlink devices were found to be used by militant groups in conflict-ridden Manipur in 2024. At that time, Manipur was gripped by ethnic violence between Meiteis and Kukis. Even though Musk said that Starlink beams are turned off over India, sources within armed groups and Manipur police told The Guardian that it worked in several areas near the Myanmar border.
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