Musk renews his Starlink push with "Dear Prime Minister Ambani"; BJP targets Rahul Gandhi and answers on spectrum
Elon Musk again raised Starlink's pending India licence on X. Mint says his post addressed 'Dear Prime Minister Ambani', and the Economic Times says he argued that a lack of internet denies children educational opportunity. The Hindu reports that the BJP targeted Rahul Gandhi over his exchange with Musk and countered the SpaceX founder's remarks on spectrum policy. No licence decision has been announced. Separately, SpaceX's purchase of a block of spectrum rattled telecom shares: the Financial Times says US telcos lost about $45 billion in value, and Reuters says Deutsche Telekom fell 7 per cent.
Satellite broadband needs a licence and spectrum, and India has tied the decision to security checks and to how spectrum is priced against telecom operators such as Jio.
There is no Starlink service in India yet. Rural and remote users are the likely first customers if a licence is granted.
Satellite internet could reach villages that fibre and towers do not.
Spectrum is a national resource, and rivals say foreign satellite firms should not get it on easier terms.
A licence decision, not a social-media exchange, is the signal to wait for. The shock to telecom shares abroad shows what is at stake for Indian operators.
DailyDrop India edition No. 6 · Morning · SAT., OCT. 10, 2026