Name the oligarchs with a stranglehold on our govt: KTR to Elon Musk

BRS leader KT Rama Rao has called on Elon Musk to 'name and shame' the 'oligarchs' the SpaceX CEO claims are blocking Starlink's satellite internet launch in India, stating 'The Nation (India) wants to know who has got this stranglehold'.

Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) working president KT Rama Rao (KTR) on Thursday has called on Elon Musk, the CEO of SpaceX, the parent company of satellite communications major 'Starlink', to reveal the identity of the "Oligarchs" he had accused of blocking SpaceX's satellite internet service, Starlink, from launching in India.

KTR Demands Names of 'Oligarchs'

In an X post, he said, "Elon, Name and shame the oligarchs. The nation (India) wants to know who has got this stranglehold on our government."

This comes in response to Musk's claims in a previous post stating that the company was being blocked by "oligarchs." Elon, Name and shame the Oligarchs The Nation (India) wants to know who is got this stranglehold on our Government — KTR (@KTRBRS) October 7, 2026

According to Musk, "Unfortunately, we are being blocked by certain oligarchs in order to maintain their monopolistic chokehold on the Indian people. You can guess who they are. This is a crime against the people of India!"

The Case for Starlink in India

The post was in reply to another post by the X handle DogeDesigner, which posted, " India needs Starlink. 11,256 of India’s listed villages still lacked 4G coverage as of May 2026. India had 1.093 billion internet subscriptions in March 2026, but only 440.87 million were rural. Rural subscription density was 48.31 per 100 people, compared with 126.80 in urban India... Only 4.26% of India’s internet subscriptions were wired connections in March 2026. Starlink could give underserved communities another route to high-speed broadband."

According to the post, Starlink's satellite network could bring high-speed internet to remote villages in India, and this could help reach more people, reason enough to complete clearance to begin commercial service.

Starlink's Readiness and Investment in India

Earlier on October 7, Vice President of Starlink Business Operations Lauren Dreyer, while speaking at India Mobile Congress 2026, said the company had developed India-specific security controls and has built 20 gateway sites in India, adding that the company is “keeping Indian users’ data within India.”

Dreyer said Starlink has invested in building the infrastructure required to serve the Indian market. The Indian government has granted licences to three satellite communication companies, including Starlink, to offer services in the country.

The Starlink VP added that the company has already invested in and built ground infrastructure in India, including 20 gateway sites with hundreds of antennas, and established operations to begin serving the market. "We've already made the investment and built the existing ground infrastructure here, 20 gateway sites comprising hundreds of antennas, and we've established the operations to be ready to serve India," Dreyer said, highlighting, “What India has achieved digitally is extraordinary.”

Dreyer said Starlink has been working closely with Indian regulators, industry stakeholders and operators for the past five years to adapt its operations to India’s requirements and prepare to serve the market.

In June this year, Dreyer had refuted reports that claimed India had frozen the approval process for Starlink over geopolitical and security concerns. Dreyer said that Starlink remains in active negotiations with the Indian government to launch its commercial satellite internet services. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)