‘Starlink beams turned off over India’: Elon Musk denies satellite usage by insurgents in Manipur

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has rejected claims that Starlink satellite internet services were used by insurgent groups in Manipur, saying the company's satellite beams are switched off over India.

“Starlink beams are turned off over India, so the claim that they were used by anyone for any reason is absolutely false,” Musk said in a post on X on Thursday, October 8.

His statement comes amid renewed scrutiny of Starlink after security forces seized a satellite dish and router bearing the company's name during an operation against insurgents in Manipur in 2024.

The recovery of the devices had raised questions about whether satellite internet could be used by armed groups to bypass internet shutdowns imposed during periods of unrest in the northeastern state.

In 2024, Manipur police said the Starlink equipment was likely smuggled from neighbouring Myanmar, where the satellite internet service is operational.

According to a report by British daily newspaper, members of the People's Liberation Army of Manipur (PLA) claimed that they had used Starlink devices to access the internet in Manipur during government-imposed internet shutdowns. The report also cited sources who said the devices worked in some areas near the Myanmar border.

Musk had rejected similar claims in December 2024 after Starlink-branded equipment was seized during security operations in Manipur.

The latest clarification comes as Starlink awaits regulatory clearances to launch commercial services in India. Although the Department of Telecommunications granted the company a satellite communication licence in 2025, it has yet to begin commercial operations in the country.

The issue has also resurfaced amid a dispute over the delay in Starlink's India launch. Musk recently alleged that “certain oligarchs” were blocking the company's entry to protect their dominance in the Indian telecommunications market. The government has dismissed his allegations as baseless.

The seizure of Starlink equipment in Manipur had previously raised security concerns over the possible use of satellite communication devices in sensitive border areas. Musk's latest statement maintains that Starlink's satellite beams are not active over India, despite the recovery of its equipment in the state.