India doesn’t allow monopoly in any sector, says Telecom Minister Scindia | Tech News

Pushing back against SpaceX Chief Executive Elon Musk’s allegations that India is delaying satellite broadband licences to favour incumbent players, Telecom Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said the government does not allow monopolies in any sector and has granted licences to all three companies that applied. 

At a press briefing at the India Mobile Congress on Friday, Scindia said “India does not allow a monopoly in any sector”, and even in satcom, it has not provided preferential treatment to any player. Reliance Jio, Bharti group-backed Eutelsat OneWeb and SpaceX’s Starlink have received licences. Similarly, Amazon Leo, formerly known as Project Kuiper that is also eyeing an India entry, must follow the prescribed process to obtain authorisation, he said. 

The government, he said, is discussing satellite spectrum pricing with the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai).

Providers can start services once the revenue-charging framework is finalised and each company meets the required security milestones, Scindia said. The Ministry of Home Affairs is responsible for assessing security compliance and granting clearance. The government’s role is to ensure consumers have access to a range of services and can choose their preferred provider, he said. 

“Let me set the record straight — for us, the Department of Telecommunications, we are technology agnostic” across internet service providers, telecom operators and broadband infrastructure,” Scindia stressed. 

A predictable regulatory framework had helped attract $50 billion in 5G investments over two-and-a-half years, resulting in 550 million 5G subscribers, Scindia said.

Musk fumes on X 

Scindia’s remarks come amid a public dispute over satellite broadband licensing, after Musk accused “certain oligarchs” of blocking Starlink to preserve their “monopolistic chokehold on the Indian people” in a post on X late Wednesday. 

Later on Thursday, Musk posted on X, a platform that he owns, that Starlink was licensed in more than 165 countries and had spent five years complying with Indian government laws and requirements, questioning why it still lacked an operational licence and asking whether Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani was “the real boss of India”. 

The government had rejected the allegations on Thursday, too, saying all satellite broadband providers must comply with security requirements before operating in India. The Communications Ministry described the country’s authorisation framework for telecom and satellite services as “fair and non-discriminatory” and called suggestions of selective enforcement “baseless and misconceived”. 

Taking a swipe at the Congress over its leader Rahul Gandhi’s exchange with Musk on X, Scindia said on Friday that the Opposition was inconsistent in its position on satellite licensing. He said the Congress had initially objected to “a certain person getting a licence” but was now aligned with that player in questioning delays.

Spectrum auction tied to demand 

Scindia said the government would hold the next spectrum auction when operators require additional airwaves, rather than commit to a timeline within the current financial year. A substantial amount of spectrum had already been allocated through the 5G auction and a subsequent round, he said. 

Further auctions would depend on demand and the spectrum bands required for 5G standalone (SA) networks and 6G. The government would monitor demand before deciding when to auction additional spectrum, he said. 

On direct-to-mobile technology, Scindia said the government had established the regulatory framework, leaving rollout timelines to private companies based on market dynamics.

Gwalior telecom zone targets ₹6,000 crore investment 

The upcoming telecom manufacturing zone in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, has received commitments from about 30 companies and one startup to establish facilities, involving investments of ₹5,500 crore to ₹6,000 crore and generating about 18,000 jobs, Scindia said. 

The first phase will cover 170 acres, with another 400 acres being considered for allocation to companies. The government has made  ₹493 crore in capital available to execute the projects, he said, adding that the foundation-laying ceremony was expected before the end of October.