Imphal | SpaceX chief executive Elon Musk has rejected claims that insurgent groups in Manipur used the company’s Starlink satellite internet service, asserting that its satellite beams remain 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 satellite communication technology following the recovery of Starlink-branded equipment during security operations against insurgents in Manipur in 2024. The seizure of a satellite dish and router bearing the company’s name had raised concerns over whether armed groups could use satellite internet to circumvent government-imposed internet shutdowns during periods of unrest in the northeastern state.

 Manipur Police had said in 2024 that the recovered equipment was likely smuggled from neighbouring Myanmar, where Starlink’s satellite internet service is operational. The recovery triggered questions about how the devices entered Manipur and whether they had been used to facilitate communication by insurgent groups operating in the state’s sensitive border areas.

A report by British newspaper The Guardian subsequently cited claims by members of the People’s Liberation Army of Manipur (PLA) that they had used Starlink devices to access the internet during government-imposed shutdowns. The report also cited sources who claimed that the devices had worked in some areas close to the Myanmar border. These accounts, however, stand in contrast to Musk’s assertion that Starlink’s satellite beams are inactive over India.

Musk had also rejected similar claims in December 2024, following the seizure of Starlink-branded equipment in Manipur. Starlink yet to launch commercial services in India. The controversy comes as Starlink awaits the remaining regulatory clearances required to begin commercial operations in India.

The Department of Telecommunications granted the company a satellite communication licence in 2025, but the service has yet to launch commercially in the country. The delay has also become the subject of a public dispute. Musk recently alleged that “certain oligarchs” were obstructing Starlink’s entry into India to protect their dominance in the telecommunications market. The government dismissed the allegations as baseless.

 The Manipur case has highlighted the challenges security agencies face in monitoring satellite communication equipment in sensitive border regions, particularly where insurgent groups may seek alternative channels of communication during internet restrictions.

While Musk maintains that Starlink’s satellite beams are switched off over India, the recovery of company-branded equipment and the reported claims of its use near the Myanmar border have kept questions about the devices’ origin, functionality and possible use under investigation.

The seizure of equipment bearing the Starlink name does not, by itself, establish that the service was operational in India or that insurgents successfully accessed its network. The discrepancy between the reported accounts and Musk’s denial remains central to the controversy.