As SpaceX continues to struggle to secure the necessary greenlight to launch its Starlink satellite internet service in India, Elon Musk has significantly escalated his attacks on Indian billionaire Mukesh Ambani. In a series of pointed remarks on social media, Musk mockingly referred to the Reliance Industries chairperson as the country’s "prime minister," a barbed suggestion meant to imply that Ambani wields outsized control over the Indian government and is actively utilizing his influence to block Starlink from entering the market and competing with domestic telecom giants.
On Friday, Musk continued his sharp criticism of the famed conglomerate leader in a post on the X platform. In his commentary, Musk argued that the deployment of Starlink could fundamentally transform the digital landscape of the country by bringing high-speed internet access to remote and rural areas that currently remain unconnected. He emphasized that such connectivity would give children expanded educational opportunities and help small businesses reach new customers worldwide.
"Naturally, you would prefer to maintain your monopolistic exploitation of the great people of India, but would you nonetheless consider allowing Starlink to compete?" Musk wrote.
Reliance Jio, the telecommunications arm of Reliance Industries, did not immediately respond to requests for comment regarding Musk’s remarks.
Musk’s latest commentary follows a series of accusations made earlier in the week, during which he claimed that unnamed "oligarchs" were intentionally blocking Starlink’s long-awaited launch in India to protect their own entrenched business interests. Those initial claims were swiftly rejected by India’s Ministry of Communications, which maintained that the nation’s regulatory framework for satellite communications is entirely fair and non-discriminatory. Undeterred by the government’s response, Musk pushed further on Thursday in a separate post on X, questioning the extent of Ambani’s power directly by asking, "Is Ambani the real boss of India?"
SpaceX has spent years working toward launching Starlink in the massive South Asian market. Last year, the company even struck distribution agreements with both Ambani’s Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel, India’s second-largest telecom operator, with the intention of offering satellite broadband services once formal regulatory approvals were secured. However, despite reportedly clearing key regulatory hurdles and generating considerable anticipation, Starlink has still not received the final go-ahead from New Delhi to begin commercial operations.
In an official statement released on Thursday, the Indian communication ministry clarified that Starlink and two other licensed satellite operators are currently undergoing mandatory security assessments. These evaluations must be fully completed before any of the companies can be assigned satellite spectrum. The ministry stressed that all three applicants are currently at broadly the same regulatory stage, firmly rejecting Musk’s assertions that Starlink was being unfairly singled out or targeted for obstruction.
Rivals Jio and Airtel are also actively seeking to launch their own satellite internet services across the country. Jio maintains a strategic joint venture with Luxembourg-based SES, while Airtel serves as a major shareholder in Eutelsat OneWeb, an enterprise striving to establish robust satellite connectivity throughout India.
India, recognized globally as the world’s most populous country with well over a billion internet users, represents a crucial strategic market for Musk and his commercial ventures. Yet expanding operations within the country also means navigating a complex political and economic landscape dominated by powerful business figures such as Ambani. The Reliance conglomerate owns India’s largest telecom operator and frequently collaborates with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration on major national infrastructure and economic projects.
The current friction over satellite internet is not the first major hurdle Musk has encountered in the country. Alongside the delayed rollout of Starlink, Musk has also faced substantial difficulties expanding Tesla’s footprint in India. The prominent electric vehicle manufacturer finally entered the Indian market last year following years of intense speculation and anticipation from local fans. However, market adoption has been notably sluggish. Tesla registered a mere 699 vehicles during its first 12 months of deliveries, according to data cited by industry trackers.
Steep import duties have presented a major barrier to sales, pushing the launch price of the Model Y in India to nearly twice its price in the United States. Although Tesla implemented price reductions earlier this year, its vehicles remain considerably more expensive for Indian consumers than they are in Western markets.
Prior to Musk’s public attacks on Ambani, Starlink and Reliance Jio had already clashed intensely over the regulatory framework for allocating satellite spectrum in India. Musk’s SpaceX strongly advocated for spectrum to be assigned through a direct administrative process, whereas Jio aggressively pushed for a competitive auction system. Ultimately, New Delhi decided to move forward with administrative spectrum allocation, a move that favored Starlink’s initial preferences but did not immediately translate into commercial authorization.
As the standoff continues, Starlink’s launch timeline remains in limbo, subject to ongoing security reviews and government oversight. Responding to the escalating rhetoric, India’s Telecom Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia pushed back against Musk’s monopoly allegations, stating unequivocally that the nation "does not allow a monopoly in any sector."
