Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, has repeatedly accused the Indian government and billionaire Mukesh Ambani of delaying Starlink’s efforts to enter a market with more than one billion potential internet subscribers. New Delhi has denied allegations of bias in its approval process.
Reliance Industries issued a statement on Friday without directly naming Musk, days before its digital subsidiary, Jio Platforms, seeks a valuation of $108 billion in what is expected to be India’s largest initial public offering (IPO) to date.
Jio Platforms houses Reliance’s telecommunications business, which serves more than 530 million customers and could become a major competitor to Starlink in India’s internet market.
“Reliance has never feared competition,” the conglomerate said, addressing remarks concerning the company and the Indian market. It added that the statement was intended to place the facts on record.
Starlink responded on Friday, saying it had been working with Indian regulators and industry stakeholders for more than five years. The company said it had developed dedicated systems, gateways and other infrastructure in India with the necessary government approvals.
“Starlink is ready to connect India with high-speed internet,” the company said in a post on X.
Musk responded separately to Reliance’s statement, writing, “Much appreciated”.
Musk’s posts on X have included questions about Ambani’s influence in India, at times referring to him as the country’s “real boss” and “Prime Minister Ambani”. He has also questioned whether Ambani would allow Starlink to compete in the Indian market.
The public dispute marks a shift in Musk’s previously cordial public relationship with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It comes as New Delhi seeks to attract foreign investment and negotiate a trade agreement with Washington.
India has granted licences to Starlink, Reliance’s satellite internet venture and Bharti-backed Eutelsat OneWeb to operate services. However, none has yet obtained the security clearance required to launch operations.
Satellite broadband services could help connect hundreds of millions of Indians who remain without internet access, particularly those living in rural and remote areas.
Musk has said Starlink would offer affordable services in India to compete with Jio’s low-cost internet plans.
Affordable data packages have played a significant role in Jio’s expansion across the country. Musk has pursued a similar pricing strategy in other markets, including Kenya, where Starlink has sought to challenge established telecommunications providers.
The competition between the two companies could reshape India’s satellite broadband market, although their launch plans remain dependent on the required regulatory and security approvals.
