‘Wait till you discover…’: Rahul Gandhi reacts as Elon Musk ups ante over India’s telecom rules

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday appeared to take a swipe at India’s telecom regulations after Elon Musk questioned why Starlink is yet to receive a licence to operate in the country despite what he said was five years of compliance with Indian laws.

“Welcome to India, Elon. Wait till you discover the other guy,” Gandhi said in a post on X, replying to Musk’s remarks.

Also read: Elon Musk asks why Starlink still lacks India licence after ‘five years’ of compliance


“Thank you, Rahul. This is indeed troubling,” Musk replied.

Musk had earlier questioned why Starlink, which he said is licensed in more than 165 countries, was still awaiting an Indian licence despite spending five years complying with government requirements.

Starlink awaits security clearance

Starlink has secured a satellite communication permit and authorisation from India’s space regulator but is awaiting security clearance before it can begin commercial operations.

Musk’s remarks came a day after he alleged that unnamed “oligarchs” were blocking Starlink’s entry to protect their business interests. “Unfortunately, we are being blocked by certain oligarchs in order to maintain their monopolistic chokehold on the Indian people,” he said on Wednesday.

Starlink is not the only company awaiting final approvals. Bharti Group-backed Eutelsat OneWeb and Jio Satellite also have the required satcom permit and space-sector authorisation but are awaiting security clearance. The companies also require spectrum for commercial services, with the government expected to decide on spectrum pricing.

Also read: Elon Musk says Starlink's entry in India 'blocked' by oligarchs, alleges 'monopolistic chokehold'

Starlink says India operations are ready

At the India Mobile Congress on Wednesday, SpaceX Vice President for Starlink business operations Lauren Dreyer said the company had built 20 gateway sites and hundreds of antennas in India and adapted its operations to meet Indian security and regulatory requirements.

Dreyer said Starlink had also established controls across its operations and was keeping Indian user data within the country. She said the company had spent five years working with Indian regulators, industry and telecom operators ahead of its proposed entry.

Starlink has signed letters of intent with Maharashtra and Meghalaya to explore connectivity for remote communities and public institutions. In March 2025, it also signed agreements with Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio covering network equipment distribution, business connectivity and rural connectivity.