Jyotiraditya Scindia Clarifies Starlink Licence Process in India

Jyotiraditya Scindia Starlink licence remarks came into focus in Delhi after the Union Minister responded to the recent exchange between Rahul Gandhi and Elon Musk over Starlink’s delayed commercial launch in India.

Scindia said the government had already made its policy position clear and stressed that three satellite communication companies have received licences. He added that spectrum would be assigned once the government finalises the charging mechanism and that operators would be able to start services after meeting security conditions.

Scindia Says Three Firms Have Licences

Responding to questions on the issue, Scindia said:

“There are three parties that have the license. There's not a single party.”

He said the government’s framework applies to all licensed satellite communication operators rather than to one company alone.

Reuters reported that Starlink, Reliance Jio and Airtel-linked OneWeb are at broadly similar regulatory stages, with spectrum allocation and security clearances still required before commercial operations can begin.

#WATCH | Delhi: Following Rahul Gandhi and Elon Musk's exchange on X, Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia says, "I have already defined the government's stand and the government's policy, and I have mentioned to you that there are three parties that have the license. There's not a single party. As far as the Congress party is concerned, I don't think they themselves know whether they are going left or right. They first had a problem initially with a certain person getting a license. Now they have a problem, and they have allied with that person in terms of why he's not getting the license. I don't know whether they have clarity in terms of where they are going. But that is the case with the Congress, which is to be expected. We are very clear on our stand. There are three parties that have got a license. As and when the government decides the charge system on a revenue basis, that spectrum will be assigned to them, and as and when they individually fulfill the security conditions, then they can start operations."

— ANI (@ANI) October 9, 2026

Spectrum Allocation to Follow Government Decision

Scindia said spectrum would be assigned once the government decides the charging system on a revenue basis.

He added that each company would also have to individually fulfil the prescribed security conditions before starting operations.

The Jyotiraditya Scindia Starlink licence statement therefore underlined the government’s position that licensing alone does not automatically permit the immediate launch of satellite broadband services.

Scindia Criticises Congress Position

The Union Minister also criticised the Congress over its response to the Starlink issue.

Referring to Rahul Gandhi’s exchange with Elon Musk, Scindia said the Congress had earlier raised objections around the licensing issue but was now questioning why Starlink had not been allowed to begin operations.

He said:

“I don't think they themselves know whether they are going left or right.”

The remark was a political criticism by Scindia of the Congress party’s position.

Rahul Gandhi and Elon Musk Exchange Draws Attention

The latest political exchange followed comments by Elon Musk questioning the delay in Starlink’s India launch and alleging that influential interests were obstructing its entry.

Rahul Gandhi then replied to Musk on X, referring to an unnamed “other guy”, after which Musk responded that the situation was “troubling.”

The Indian government has rejected allegations of discriminatory treatment and has maintained that the regulatory process for satellite communication companies is fair and applies equally to all applicants.

Security Clearances Remain Key

Scindia reiterated that licensed companies would only be able to start commercial operations after satisfying individual security requirements.

The government has said that security assessments and spectrum allocation remain pending steps for the satellite operators seeking to launch services in India.

The Jyotiraditya Scindia Starlink licence clarification comes amid renewed debate over satellite broadband regulation, competition and the timing of Starlink’s entry into the Indian market.