“Indeed troubling”: Musk responds to Rahul Gandhi amid Starlink entry row

WASHINGTON DC: SpaceX CEO Elon Musk on Thursday (local time) called the situation surrounding Starlink’s efforts to enter the Indian market “troubling” in response to Leader of Opposition (LoP)Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, who weighed in on Musk’s allegations that the satellite communications company had been unable to secure a licence in India despite complying with the country’s laws and requirements.

“Thank you, Rahul. This is indeed troubling,” Musk said in a post on X. Gandhi had earlier replied to Musk’s post, which claimed that Starlink was unable to secure a licence despite complying with Indian laws and requirements for five years.

“Welcome to India, Elon. Wait till you discover the other guy,” Gandhi wrote on X. The exchange comes amid a public debate over the regulatory process for Starlink, SpaceX’s satellite-based internet service, and Musk’s allegations that vested interests are obstructing the company’s entry into the Indian market.

In an earlier post, Musk questioned the delay in granting Starlink a licence, saying the company was authorised to operate in more than 165 countries.

“Starlink is licensed in over 165 countries and has spent five years complying with every single law and requirement of the government of India, so why still no license? Is Ambani the real boss of India?” Musk wrote.