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Kamal Haasan speaking at a public eventPhoto via Track Tollywood

Kamal Haasan Takes On Elon Musk Over Starlink Entry Into India

Kamal Haasan fires back at Elon Musk over Starlink, says no billionaire should dictate India's digital policy

By Interval Block1 min read

In this story

Kamal Haasan has thrown down the gauntlet in the Starlink debate — not with a script, but a statement. The actor-politician took aim at Elon Musk’s public criticism of India’s satellite internet rollout, calling out the billionaire’s suggestion that Indian business interests are blocking Starlink’s launch. Musk had questioned why his satellite internet service hasn’t gone commercial in India, even hinting at Mukesh Ambani as a gatekeeper.

That set off a chain reaction, and Kamal Haasan, ever the provocateur, responded with a rare political jab. He didn’t just dismiss Musk’s claims. He challenged the very idea that any foreign tycoon should have a say in India’s digital policy. 'No billionaire.

Indian or American, should dictate what happens in this country,' he said, according to Track Tollywood. The remark landed like a mic drop in a nation already divided over who controls connectivity. Starlink has a licence, yes. But it still needs spectrum clearance and security approvals before it can go live.

Meanwhile, Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel aren’t sitting idle. They’re pushing their own satellite ambitions. And while Musk talks about disruption, Haasan brought up something quieter but deeper: affordability for rural households, national security, and the stalled BharatNet project. The conversation isn’t just about speed or coverage anymore.

It’s about who gets to decide. And whether India’s internet future should be shaped by a man in a Tesla or by the people it’s meant to serve. The next move? Waiting on the government’s green light, and whether the real battle isn’t between companies, but between vision and control.

Reported from

This article was written by the CutMirchi desk from the reporting above. Facts are attributed to their original publishers.

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