Elon Musk Questions Mukesh Ambani’s Influence Amid Starlink Delays

Elon Musk has questioned whether Indian billionaire Mukesh Ambani is the real boss of India as his satellite internet company, Starlink, faces ongoing delays in securing final regulatory approval to launch commercial services in the country. The SpaceX CEO made the remark on X, one day after accusing unnamed oligarchs of maintaining a monopolistic chokehold on Indian consumers to block his company’s entry, according to reports by the BBC and CNBC. Musk further claimed that blocking the service was a crime against the people of India and urged followers to guess who they are when referring to the alleged interests.

Starlink Awaits Final Security Clearances from Indian Government

While Starlink has secured key licenses, the company still requires final security clearances and spectrum allocation from the Indian government before it can begin operations. India’s Ministry of Communications stated that Starlink, Eutelsat OneWeb, and Jio Satellite Communications are all at broadly the same stage of the approval process. The ministry rejected allegations of bias, describing its framework as fair and non-discriminatory, as reported by the BBC. The government previously called out Starlink in 2022 for accepting preorders before obtaining necessary licenses, forcing the company to issue refunds.

Starlink has been attempting to enter the Indian market since 2021. Musk has argued that the company has spent five years complying with all government requirements and noted that Starlink is licensed in more than 165 countries. It currently operates a network of 11,000 satellites globally.

Corporate Rivalry in India’s Telecom Market

The tension centers on the influence of Reliance Industries chairperson Mukesh Ambani, whose subsidiary Reliance Jio is India’s largest mobile network operator. CNBC reported that Jio and Bharti Airtel together control approximately 80% of the Indian telecom market. Both companies are preparing to launch their own satellite internet services, with Jio reportedly planning to deploy a network of 1,600 low-Earth orbit satellites and 23 ground stations. Akash Ambani, managing director of Jio Platforms, told shareholders in June that the firm plans to roll out its own satellite communications and stated that India needs its own indigenous stack of technologies.

Competition is complex because Starlink has previously pursued partnerships with these incumbents. In March 2025, SpaceX signed agreements with both Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel to distribute Starlink equipment and services, subject to government approval. The companies also discussed potentially sharing network infrastructure. Despite these agreements, disputes have emerged over how spectrum should be allocated. Starlink advocated for administrative spectrum assignment, while Reliance Jio argued for an auction process. The Indian government ultimately sided with the administrative approach.

Political Reactions in New Delhi

Musk’s comments have drawn attention from Indian political figures. In response to Gandhi, Musk wrote on X that the situation was indeed troubling. Reliance Industries and Mukesh Ambani have not provided a formal response to Musk’s statements, despite requests for comment from the BBC and CNBC.

Starlink Establishes Gateway Sites to Prepare for India Launch

Starlink continues to prepare for a potential launch, having appointed Prabhakar Jayakumar to lead its India operations in December, according to sources. At a recent telecom conference in New Delhi, Starlink vice president of business operations Lauren Dreyer stated that the company has established more than 20 gateway sites and hundreds of ground antennas in India to meet local data-sovereignty and security requirements. We stand ready to serve India, Dreyer said, adding that the firm aims to help realize Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s goal of universal connectivity. Separately, CNBC noted that Tesla has faced an underwhelming market response in India, selling just over 1,000 cars since its launch last year.