New Delhi, Oct. 8 -- On Wednesday, a post from SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk, who has 241.6 million followers on X, sparked a new battle involving the satellite firm, the Indian telecom sector, and the government.

Musk alleged that Indian "oligarchs" were scuttling Starlink's launch in the country to maintain a "monopolistic chokehold on the Indian people." While he named no individuals or companies, the troika commanding the Indian telecom industry comprises Reliance Jio Infocomm, Bharti Airtel, and Vodafone Idea. By Thursday morning, the government refuted any suggestions of bias as "baseless and misconceived".

Mint explains the satellite wars now engulfing India's telecom industry.

Starlink registered its business in India in 202...