NEW DELHI: Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology, Ashwini Vaishnaw, briefly posted a message on X (formerly Twitter) welcoming Elon Musk’s satellite internet service, Starlink, to India, only to delete it shortly thereafter. The now-removed post read: “Starlink, welcome to India! Will be useful for remote area railway projects.”
Starlink, a subsidiary of SpaceX, previously faced regulatory hurdles in India. In 2021, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) advised the company to refrain from accepting pre-orders and rendering satellite internet services without obtaining the necessary licenses. Consequently, Starlink halted its operations in India and refunded pre-orders to comply with governmental directives.
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The abrupt deletion of Minister Vaishnaw’s tweet has led to conjecture about possible external pressures influencing India’s stance on Starlink. Some observers question whether diplomatic or corporate lobbying efforts, potentially from Elon Musk, played a role in the minister’s brief endorsement and subsequent retraction. However, no concrete evidence has surfaced to substantiate these claims.
Elon Musk’s Contentious Relationship with Indian Political Entities
Elon Musk’s management of X has been a subject of debate in India. There have been allegations that the platform reduced the visibility of accounts associated with various Indian political figures and parties, including those from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Indian National Congress (INC), and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). Notably, posts containing political speeches from these parties were removed following directives from the Election Commission of India, citing violations of the model code of conduct.
Political Reactions and Public Discourse
The incident has ignited discussions across political circles and social media platforms. Trinamool Congress (TMC) Member of Parliament, Saket Gokhale, criticized the government’s ambiguous stance, questioning the propriety of the minister’s premature welcome to Starlink without formal approvals.
𝐓𝐫𝐮𝐭𝐡 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐨𝐮𝐭!
India’s IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw tweeted saying “Starlink, welcome to India” & then DELETED his tweet.
Elon Musk’s Starlink has not yet gotten govt approval. It also has not been allotted any satellite spectrum.
But the tweet by… pic.twitter.com/H6kBsLLjLG
— Saket Gokhale MP (@SaketGokhale) March 13, 2025
He remarked, “Elon Musk’s Starlink has not yet gotten government approval. It also has not been allotted any satellite spectrum.”
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As of now, Starlink has not secured the requisite licenses to operate in India. The deleted tweet has neither been officially addressed by Minister Vaishnaw nor has the government provided clarification on the matter. The episode underscores the complexities involved in integrating global satellite internet services within India’s regulatory framework and the need for transparent communication from public officials.