India satellite internet regulatory and market competition

A regulatory and competitive dispute has emerged in India involving Elon Musk’s Starlink and domestic firms including Bharti Enterprises and Reliance Industries. Elon Musk has criticized Indian “oligarchs” for allegedly maintaining a “monopolistic chokehold” on digital infrastructure, questioning why Starlink lacks a license despite years of compliance. The Indian government has rejected these claims, asserting that its regulatory framework is “fair and non-discriminatory” and that all major applicants are at similar stages.

In response to these tensions, Sunil Bharti Mittal, chairman of Bharti Enterprises, has sought to position the Eutelsat OneWeb network as a global alternative to Starlink. Mittal argues that India and Europe need independent satellite solutions to reduce strategic dependence on American and Chinese infrastructure. While OneWeb has already obtained a license to provide satellite communication services in India, a significant scale gap remains between the providers, as Starlink maintains a much larger satellite constellation and customer base.