Elon Musk has intensified his public campaign against Mukesh Ambani, directly targeting the Reliance Industries chairman in a series of recent posts. In his latest message on X, Musk addressed Ambani as 'Dear Prime Minister Ambani, please accept my humble apologies for not realizing that you are the real boss of India.' Musk urged Ambani to 'consider allowing Starlink to compete', arguing that 'there are many areas of India, as there are in all countries, with no Internet access, which denies children the opportunity for education and for small businesses the opportunity to sell their goods to a global market.' Musk emphasized that Starlink would 'change their lives for the better' and urged Ambani to 'allow Starlink to compete' in the Indian market. This represents a significant escalation from Musk's previous allegations about 'certain oligarchs' blocking Starlink to protect a monopolistic chokehold. In his latest post, Musk mocked Ambani's alleged influence over India's telecom sector, writing 'Dear Prime Minister Ambani, please accept my humble apologies for not realizing that you are the real boss of India.' He argued that satellite internet could help bridge India's digital divide by providing connectivity to remote areas, where children lack access to educational opportunities and small businesses struggle to reach global markets.
While Musk fights for market entry, Mukesh Ambani's Jio is building its own satellite internet network that could rival Starlink's capabilities. According to Business Today, Jio plans a network of about 1,600 satellites with an estimated cost of $10-15 billion. The network is designed to deliver up to 5 terabits per second of capacity over India, which is roughly eight times more than Starlink's approved capacity of 600 gigabits. However, Jio's first test flight is targeted for September 2027, with all 1,600 satellites expected by 2035, as reported by Angel One. Jio also signed a deal in March 2025 to sell Starlink kits once India approves the service, demonstrating the company's commitment to competing in the satellite internet market.
The Union government has categorically rejected allegations of discrimination in India's satellite communication regulatory framework, responding directly to Elon Musk's claims that unnamed business interests were blocking Starlink's entry to protect their existing dominance. A statement issued by the Ministry of Communications on Thursday established that it had established a fair and non-discriminatory authorisation framework for all telecommunications services, including satellite communications. The ministry dismissed suggestions that its regulatory framework or implementation was discriminatory as 'baseless and misconceived', emphasizing that all three licensed providers are undergoing identical security assessments before proceeding to spectrum assignment. Minister of State for Communications Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani clarified that the issue is with the Ministry of Home Affairs and is not specific to any one company. As per the ministry statement, preferential clearance of any single operator would be inconsistent with that regulatory environment, with security assessment currently underway for all three licensees.
Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Friday asserted that India does not allow monopoly in any sector, responding directly to the ongoing controversy over satellite communications. Speaking at a briefing at India Mobile Congress, Scindia said 'For us, the Department of Telecommunications, we are technology agnostic... Our job is to be able to provide the bouquet of services to every single customer. It is for the customer to choose in a free market which service he or she prefers, and within that service bouquet, which company's service he or she prefers.' The minister emphasized that 'There are three parties that have got a licence, as and when the government decides the charge system on the revenue basis, that spectrum will be assigned to them, and as and when they individually fulfil security conditions, then they can start operations.' Scindia set the record straight, stating: 'Now let me be very clear: India does not allow a monopoly in any sector, and therefore, even as satcom is concerned, there is not a single licensee that has been chosen. Licenses have been given to everyone who wants to provide these services. There is a lot of conversation about a particular party, but there are three parties that have got licenses: Reliance Jio, OneWeb, and Starlink.' He added that 'There is another party that is also interested in procuring a license, the process has to be followed by that party, that's Amazon Kuiper (Leo),' with the government holding discussions with TRAI on the pricing of satellite spectrum.
The government has licensed three companies - Musk's Starlink, Reliance Jio's satellite venture Jio Satcom and Bharti-backed Eutelsat OneWeb - but none can begin commercial services until required security assessments and spectrum-related approvals are completed. Security assessment as part of this process is currently under way in respect of all three licensees, with assessments intended to ensure user and data safety. Minister Pemmasani confirmed that the Department of Telecom has issued licences to all satcom companies as well as provisional spectrum, but the issue is now pending with MHA for security clearance. As soon as it is cleared, they will get it. It has nothing to do with one company, he told reporters on the sidelines of the India Mobile Congress. Scindia clarified that 'Once the revenue charges system is finalized, all three individually, based on their achievement of milestones, with regard to security concerns and prerequisites, have fulfilled the requirements, then obviously they can start operations. But that has to be a compliance that is done by each one of them individually.' Jeff Bezos-owned Amazon Leo is also vying for a licence, adding to the competitive landscape, with Amazon's Kuiper having expressed interest and will need to undergo the established procedure.
Starlink has been seeking to enter the Indian market since November 2022 but has faced several regulatory hurdles, particularly relating to security clearance and foreign direct investment approval. The company received a GMPCS licence from the Department of Telecommunications in June 2025, followed by authorisation from the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe) in July 2025. However, the company is still awaiting the remaining approvals required to begin commercial operations. Speaking at the India Mobile Congress on Wednesday, Lauren Dreyer, vice-president of Starlink business operations at SpaceX, emphasized that the company has 'built our Starlink operations specifically for India in recognition of Indian security requirements and other regulations, establishing controls at every layer for India and keeping Indian user data within India.' More than four years after India issued the first license for satellite internet services, commercial launches for all players remain stalled due to security concerns and mistrust surrounding foreign satellite operators. Musk has claimed that Starlink has spent five years complying with India's laws and regulations but is still awaiting final approvals to begin commercial operations. Starlink says it has already built 20 ground stations in India, demonstrating its commitment to the Indian market despite regulatory delays.
The commercial launch of satellite internet services remains held up by security concerns, with Starlink, Bharti-backed Eutelsat OneWeb and Jio Satellite Communications having secured government licenses. OneWeb India was the first to secure the GMPCS licence in April 2022, followed by Jio Satellite in October 2022 and Starlink in June 2025. India ranks second globally in total internet users, only behind China, making it a significant market for satellite internet providers. Reliance Jio Infocomm leads the broadband market with 49.11% market share (approximately 523.4 million users), followed by Bharti Airtel with 34.6% market share (approximately 368.8 million subscribers). Together, Jio and Airtel control 83.71% of the market, with Vi at a distant third with 12.09% market share. Jio Platforms Managing Director Akash Ambani refused to comment on the issue when approached for his view on the allegations. Beyond regulatory delays, Starlink and Jio have also clashed over spectrum allocation, with Jio arguing that spectrum for satellite services should be auctioned just like terrestrial airwaves, while Starlink has advocated for administrative assignment.
