Elon Musk has stepped up his public row with Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani over Starlink’s delayed entry into India. In a post on X on Friday, October 9, 2026, Musk addressed Ambani as “Prime Minister Ambani” and asked whether he would allow Starlink to compete in the country.
What Elon Musk said
In the post, Musk sarcastically apologised for not realising that Ambani was “the real boss of India”. He accused Ambani of wanting to protect his “monopolistic exploitation” of Indians and asked if he would consider allowing Starlink to compete.
In follow-up posts, Musk said Starlink has been essential during natural disasters and could bring internet access to parts of India that are still not connected.
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Reliance has not publicly responded to Musk’s latest post so far.
How the row started
On Wednesday, October 7, Musk alleged on X that “certain oligarchs” were blocking Starlink in India to maintain a monopoly. He did not name any person or company at the time.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi responded to Musk’s post, and the exchange drew wide attention online. Musk thanked Gandhi and called the situation troubling.
What the government said
On Thursday, October 8, the Ministry of Communications said India’s authorisation framework for satellite internet is fair and non-discriminatory. It called claims of bias baseless, without naming Starlink or Musk.
According to the government, three companies are at broadly the same stage of approval:
- Starlink
- Jio Satellite Communications, a Jio Platforms subsidiary
- Eutelsat OneWeb, backed by Bharti
All three hold licences, but none can start commercial services until Home Ministry security clearance and spectrum allocation are complete.
Why Starlink matters in India
Starlink has been waiting since 2022 to launch commercial services in India. Satellite internet can reach remote areas where laying fibre or building mobile towers is difficult. Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel together hold most of India’s mobile market, which is why Starlink’s entry is being closely watched by the telecom industry.
What happens next
Starlink’s launch now depends on the pending security assessment and the final spectrum pricing. The government has said the same process applies to all satellite operators.
