WEB DESK: Elon Musk has questioned the influence of Indian billionaire Mukesh Ambani as his satellite internet venture, Starlink, continues to await final regulatory approval to begin operations in India.
Musk raised the question of whether Ambani was the “real boss of India” after accusing powerful business interests of attempting to prevent Starlink from entering the Indian market. He subsequently identified Ambani, whose Reliance Industries group owns Jio, the country’s largest mobile network operator.
The Indian government has rejected the allegations, maintaining that the regulatory framework for satellite communications is fair and applies equally to all operators.
Neither Ambani nor Reliance Group has publicly responded to Musk’s comments. The BBC said it had contacted them for a response.
The dispute comes amid intensifying competition in India’s emerging satellite internet sector, where Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel are also preparing to introduce services.
Despite the rivalry, Starlink has established partnerships with both companies. In March 2025, Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel signed agreements with SpaceX to distribute Starlink equipment and services in India, subject to regulatory approval. Both companies also indicated that they could explore opportunities to share network infrastructure.
The BBC said it had also approached Bharti Airtel for comment.
Musk initially raised the issue on Wednesday, accusing unnamed business groups of exercising a “monopolistic chokehold” over Indian consumers. In a post on X, he suggested that the companies involved could be identified and described efforts to keep Starlink out of India as “a crime against the people of India”.
India’s Ministry of Communications responded on Thursday, stating that Starlink, Eutelsat OneWeb and Jio Satellite Communications were at broadly similar stages in the approval process.
According to the ministry, all three operators were awaiting security clearances and spectrum allocation before they could commence commercial services.
“The suggestion that the framework or its application is unfair or discriminatory is baseless and misconceived,” the ministry said, without directly naming Musk.
Musk continued to challenge the delay, pointing out that Starlink had obtained licences to operate in more than 165 countries.
The disagreement highlights the regulatory and competitive challenges surrounding the entry of satellite-based internet services into one of the world’s largest telecommunications markets.
