Indian actor-politician Kamal Haasan used X on Thursday to answer Elon Musk directly over the stalled entry of Starlink, SpaceX’s satellite internet service, into India, arguing that policy in the country is set by its voters rather than by billionaires. A day later, on Friday, BJP national vice president Ram Madhav attacked Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi for backing Musk’s position and said India’s spectrum process would stay lawful and non-discriminatory, according to Outlook India.
Key facts
- Haasan told Musk that no billionaire — Indian or American — should dictate a nation’s policy, The Indian Express reports.
- He said satellite internet must be affordable in countries with lower per-capita incomes, warning that high subscription fees and equipment costs risk putting it beyond ordinary households (The Indian Express).
- He cited the 2026 audit report of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG), the country’s national public-spending auditor, which he said found only 33.2% of service-ready Gram Panchayats operational under BharatNet, India’s state rural broadband programme, despite ₹39,888 crore spent — roughly US$4.5bn (The Indian Express).
- Madhav said Jio, Airtel and Starlink were all waiting for spectrum allocation, and that Musk was not dealing with a “banana republic” (Outlook India).
Why it matters
Two separate arguments are running at once. Musk’s complaint is about intent — that an incumbent is holding Starlink out. The government’s answer is about sequence — that several operators sit in the same queue and the licence must clear security review before spectrum is assigned. Those claims are testable against each other: if allocation reaches Jio, Airtel and Starlink together, the chokehold framing weakens; if Starlink alone stalls, it hardens.
Haasan adds a third test that neither side set, which is whether the service that eventually launches is priced for the households BharatNet failed to reach. The CAG figure he quotes is awkward for both camps: it is the strongest public evidence that state-led rural broadband has underdelivered — Musk’s own case for satellites — yet Haasan uses it to argue every provider, foreign or domestic, deserves the same scrutiny.
What Haasan argued
Haasan said India’s telecommunications networks and spectrum were strategic infrastructure, not merely commercial assets, and that national security safeguards were non-negotiable, The Indian Express reports.
He also turned Musk’s free-market framing back on Washington. Haasan wrote that countries act in their own interests, pointing to the United States imposing 100% tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles to protect domestic manufacturers, and to both India and the US restricting Huawei, the Chinese telecoms equipment maker, over security concerns. The West, he said, cannot preach free markets while practising protectionism at home.
His closing line was the one that circulated: “India is a democracy, not a colony,” he wrote, adding that India welcomes the world but Indians will decide their own future — not Western vested interests, double standards or any billionaire, Indian or American. The Indian Express reports some users on social media praised him for putting national interest above party politics.
The BJP’s response
Madhav’s remarks were aimed less at Musk than at Gandhi. He demanded Gandhi explain what had changed “overnight”, saying the opposition leader had previously accused the government of surrendering to American leadership and to Musk, yet had now become a champion of Musk’s cause, according to Outlook India.
On spectrum, Madhav contrasted the current process with the UPA years, when he said leaders were caught up in spectrum-related corruption cases and spectrum was sold indiscriminately. Under the Modi government, he said, allocation would be transparent and non-discriminatory, and due process on the licence was being followed. He added that Musk should be respectful towards the country and its leadership, and objected to Indian leaders being ridiculed as oligarchs.
How the row started
Musk made the original allegation on Wednesday, replying to a post arguing that India needs Starlink to bridge connectivity gaps in underserved areas. He said Starlink was being blocked by certain oligarchs maintaining a monopolistic chokehold on the Indian people, called it a crime against the people of India, and invited followers to guess who he meant, Outlook India reports.
The Centre — India’s federal government in New Delhi — pushed back on Thursday, saying the regulatory framework for satellite communication services was fair and non-discriminatory. Starlink News has already covered how New Delhi rejected Musk’s “oligarch” claim as baseless. Musk then asked whether Mukesh Ambani, chairman of Reliance Industries, was “the real boss of India”, and Gandhi answered him on X the same day. Musk later called that reply “indeed troubling”.
Where Starlink’s India launch actually stands
For anyone trying to work out when Starlink will be on sale in India and at what price, neither report offers a date or a figure. There is no approved tariff, no hardware price and no service start date on the public record; the only timeline anyone has put forward is Madhav’s statement that due process on the licence is being followed. Spectrum has not been assigned, and until it is, no retail package can be finalised — which is why the affordability fight is being had now rather than at launch. The only rupee amount in the row so far is the ₹39,888 crore BharatNet figure Haasan quoted from the CAG.
India is not the only market where Starlink’s legal position remains unsettled: Starlink remains unlicensed in South Africa even as use grows. Musk’s case, as summarised by The Indian Express, is that Starlink could deliver high-speed internet in rural and remote areas where mobile networks and fixed broadband remain limited — the same gap Haasan says must be filled at a price people can pay.
Frequently Asked Questions
What exactly did Rahul Gandhi post about Elon Musk?
Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, replied on X without naming anyone. Outlook India renders it as “Welcome to India, Elon. Wait till you discover the other guy”, while The Indian Express renders it as “Welcome to India, Elon. Wait, until you discover the other guy” — the two outlets differ slightly on the wording.
Is Starlink the only satellite operator waiting on Indian clearances?
No. According to The Indian Express, India’s Ministry of Communications has said Starlink and two other licensed satellite operators are undergoing security assessments at broadly the same stage.
Does Kamal Haasan want Starlink kept out of India?
No. As quoted by The Indian Express, Haasan said India must welcome competition in satellite internet from both Indian and global providers, whoever offers the most practical and affordable last-mile solution for people in remote regions.
What is BharatNet, and why did Haasan raise it?
The Indian Express reports that BharatNet is the Indian government’s programme to bring broadband to village-level local bodies, known as Gram Panchayats. Haasan cited it as an initiative deserving both scrutiny and recognition, and in the same post credited India’s telecom sector and regulations with making internet data among the world’s most affordable and bringing millions online.
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