Why Elon Musk is taking on India's richest man over Starlink

ByNikita Yadav BBC News, Delhi.

Key points

• In March 2025, both firms signed agreements with SpaceX to distribute Starlink equipment and services in India, subject to administration approval.
• The row comes as competition grows in India's satellite internet market, with Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel additionally preparing to launch services.
• The rivalry is complicated by the fact that Starlink has additionally partnered with Ambani's Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel.
• The firm has been trying to enter India since 2021 and has secured key licences.
• Musk continued to question the delay, saying Starlink was already licensed in more than 165 countries.

Elon Musk has questioned whether billionaire Mukesh Ambani is the "real boss of India" as his satellite internet firm Starlink struggles to secure final approval to launch in the country.

Notably, the remark came a day after Musk accused unnamed powerful business interests of trying to block Starlink's entry into India. He then singled out Ambani, whose Reliance conglomerate owns Jio, India's biggest mobile network operator.

India has rejected Musk's allegations, saying its satellite communications rules are fair and non-discriminatory.

Ambani and Reliance Group have not responded to Musk's remarks. The BBC has reached out to them for comment.

Meanwhile, the row comes as competition grows in India's satellite internet market, with Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel additionally preparing to launch services.

In practice, the rivalry is complicated by the fact that Starlink has additionally partnered with Ambani's Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel.

In March 2025, both firms signed agreements with SpaceX to distribute Starlink equipment and services in India, subject to administration approval. The firms additionally noted they could explore sharing network infrastructure. The BBC has additionally reached out to Bharti Airtel for comment.

Musk first created the allegations on Wednesday, accusing "certain oligarchs" of maintaining a "monopolistic chokehold" on Indian consumers.

"You can guess who they are, " he wrote on X, external, adding that blocking Starlink was "a crime against the people of India".

On Thursday, India's Ministry of Communications responded, saying that three operators – Starlink, Eutelsat OneWeb and Jio Satellite Communications – were at broadly the same stage of the approval process, with all three awaiting security clearances and spectrum allocation before they can launch commercial services.

"The suggestion that the framework or its application is unfair or discriminatory is baseless and misconceived, " the ministry remarked, without naming Musk directly.

"Starlink is licensed in over 165 countries and has spent five years complying with every single law and requirement of the administration of India, so why still no license? Is Ambani the real boss of India?" he wrote on X on Thursday.

Starlink, owned by Musk's SpaceX, uses satellites in low Earth orbit to provide internet access, particularly in remote areas where mobile networks and broadband cables are tough or expensive to install.

Notably, the firm has been trying to enter India since 2021 and has secured key licences. But it still needs final security clearances and spectrum allocation before it can commence commercial services.

Wednesday's row unfolded as senior executives from Starlink, Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel gathered at the India Mobile Congress in Delhi, where all three firms discussed their aims for satellite internet services.

Speaking at the event, Akash Ambani, chairman of Reliance Jio Infocomm and Mukesh Ambani's son, remarked the business was developing its own satellite communications technology and working towards regulatory approvals.

Asked by a reporter regarding Musk's allegations, Akash declined to comment and only stated, "We want to be heads down and deliver value to our Indian consumers."

Bharti Airtel chairman Sunil Bharti Mittal remarked his company's satellite venture was additionally awaiting administration approvals.

SpaceX executive Lauren Dreyer. This person oversees Starlink's business operations, remarked the business had spent years working with Indian regulators and had built security controls into its network to meet the country's requirements.

Security has been a key concern surrounding Starlink's entry into India. In 2024, Indian authorities remarked they had recovered Starlink equipment during a drug-smuggling investigation in the remote Andaman and Nicobar Islands and an army operation in the northeastern state of Manipur.

Musk remarked at that time that Starlink's service had never been active in India, arguing that the equipment recovered by authorities could not have been using its satellite network.

Questions additionally remain over how affordable the service would be for Indian consumers, particularly those in rural areas.

India is one of the world's largest internet markets but access remains uneven, particularly in remote areas where mobile networks and broadband cables are tough or expensive to build.

Musk has argued that Starlink could support bridge this gap. "Starlink in India would enable high-speed, affordable internet connectivity for those who can't afford current prices or who don't have a connection at all!" he wrote on X on Wednesday.

In practice, the firm has yet to announce costs for India, but some experts say its intends elsewhere suggest the service could be beyond the reach of numerous Indian households.

Although costs and equipment costs vary by plan and location, in the US, Starlink's residential intends start at $55 a month.

In short, why Elon Musk is taking on India' s richest man over Starlink is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.