Tech billionaire Elon Musk has once again criticised Indian business tycoon Mukesh Ambani over the delay in launching Starlink in India. In a sharp post on X, Musk sarcastically called Ambani the country’s “real boss” and accused him of protecting his telecom empire from competition.
Musk wrote: “Dear Prime Minister Ambani, Please accept my humble apologies for not realizing that you are the real boss of India.” He went further by asking whether India would allow Starlink to compete with existing telecom operators, suggesting that Ambani would rather keep his grip on the market.
Musk renews claims about oligarchs and India’s digital divide
The latest exchange follows Musk’s earlier claims that powerful business interests were keeping Starlink out of the Indian market. On Wednesday, he responded to a post on X by saying that certain “oligarchs” were blocking the satellite internet service to protect their dominance over the country’s telecom sector. He described the situation as a crime against the people of India.
Musk also argued that Starlink could help close India’s digital divide. He said that several parts of the country, as in other nations, still lack internet access, which limits educational opportunities for children and prevents small businesses from selling their goods to a global market. In his view, the service would improve those lives.
His remarks have drawn fresh attention to the competition between global satellite internet providers and established Indian telecom operators. Starlink is still waiting for regulatory requirements to be completed before it can begin commercial operations.
Indian government rejects claims of unfair treatment
The Indian government responded to the allegations in a statement issued on October 8. The Ministry of Communications said it had set up a fair and non-discriminatory authorisation framework for telecommunications services, including satellite communications.
According to the ministry, licences had been granted to three global satellite communications providers, although it did not name them in the statement. It added that every licensee must demonstrate compliance with applicable security conditions. The ministry said a security assessment was under way for all three licensees.
“This is aimed at ensuring that services provided meet various security requirements to ensure safety of all users and their data,” the ministry said. It also explained that once a licensed company completes its security assessment, it can move on to seeking spectrum assignment.
The ministry stressed that all three companies were at broadly the same regulatory stage. It said the suggestion that the framework or its application was unfair or discriminatory was “baseless and misconceived.”
Starlink has secured a Global Mobile Personal Communications by Satellite (GMPCS) licence and other statutory approvals needed to offer satellite communication services in India. According to a newspaper report, Bharti-backed Eutelsat OneWeb and Jio Satellite Communications Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Jio Platforms, have also received the relevant licence.
Security concerns and spectrum steps ahead of any launch
Security requirements and regulatory clearances remain central as India prepares for the possible entry of satellite internet services. Neil Shah, a partner at the global technology market research firm Counterpoint Research, said the government had concerns about a foreign company operating in a sensitive technology sector such as satellite communications.
Shah said questions remain over how Starlink’s terminals would be geofenced and whether data would be localised within the country. He suggested that Starlink could receive approval around the time Indian companies develop their own satellite internet services.
However, he warned that Starlink could dominate India’s satellite communications market if it launches without a level playing field for domestic competitors. The dispute highlights growing tensions in India’s emerging satellite broadband market, where global technology companies and domestic telecom players are competing for access to a potentially large base of customers.
