Elon Musk and Starlink are amidst controversy following the reports of satellite internet services being used by the militant group in conflict-ridden Manipur to outmanoeuvre government-imposed internet and mobile shutdown in Manipur

Elon Musk, however, denied such reports, saying that the company’s devices are currently turned off in India and were “never on in the first place.”

Space X’s satellite internet service provider is not legally authorized to operate in India. However, it is available in Myanmar, the neighbouring country of Manipur. In 2025, it will be available in Bangladesh and Bhutan.

Lauren Dreyer, Vice President of Starlink Business Operations, posted on X, “Starlink satellite beams are turned off over India. Thus, Starlink won’t work in India today and never has. We look forward (hopefully soon) to government approvals to serve the good people of India who need connectivity.”

Starlink is a satellite internet service developed by SpaceX, designed to provide broadband internet via a network of satellites in the low earth orbits. These satellites provide low latency and high-speed connections compared to traditional satellites.

According to one report in The Guardian, the Indian army and the Assam Rifles recovered a Starlink satellite internet device along with arms and ammunition in the Imphal East District.

The Northeastern state of Manipur has witnessed a deadly ethnic conflict between the majority Meitei population and the minority Kuki population. Several armed groups from both sides have engaged in confrontation which resulted in the death of more than 250 individuals. The state and national governments have failed to restore peace in the region. To avoid further escalation, they have decided to shut down all internet access across Manipur, often for months and weeks consecutively.

According to the Guardian report one of the leaders from the Meitei separatist militant group, the People’s Liberation Army of Manipur (PLA), said that Starlink devices had been used by the group to access the internet during the periods of internet blockade.

“Our initial information suggests that Starlink indeed works in some areas of Manipur, particularly in some areas that are closer to the Myanmar border,” said one senior police official in Manipur.

However, four other militant groups from each side denied using Starlink satellites to access the internet. Last year in December, the Indian Coast Guard confiscated $ 3 billion worth of methamphetamine near the Indian archipelago of Andaman and Nicobar. Along with the stimulants, coast guards retrieved Starlink devices. The guards claimed that the device was being used for navigation and internet access in Indian waters.