Musk accuses Ambani of blocking Starlink's India launch

Elon Musk has escalated a public dispute with Indian billionaire Mukesh Ambani over what he calls a “monopolistic chokehold” blocking Starlink’s launch in India. In posts on X on Wednesday, Musk accused unnamed “oligarchs” of obstructing the satellite-internet service’s entry without naming them or offering evidence, calling the alleged blocking a “crime against the people of India.” He argued Starlink could bring affordable, high-speed internet to people who currently lack access.

India’s Ministry of Communications pushed back hours later, saying its regulatory framework for satellite communications is “fair and non-discriminatory” and that Starlink and two other licensed satellite operators are all at “broadly the same regulatory stage,” each still undergoing required security assessments before they can seek spectrum, the radio frequencies satellites use to send signals.

On Thursday, Musk turned to Reliance Industries chairperson Mukesh Ambani directly, asking on X, “Is Ambani the real boss of India?” after claiming Starlink had spent years complying with Indian regulations without receiving a license.

Starlink has spent more than five years trying to enter a market with more than a billion internet subscribers. Despite securing key regulatory approvals and partnering with telecom giants Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel last year, it has yet to begin commercial service. SpaceX has set up a local team, appointing former Payoneer executive Prabhakar Jayakumar to lead its India operations in December.

Musk’s comments came hours after Starlink vice president of business operations Lauren Dreyer told India Mobile Congress, a telecom conference in New Delhi, that the company remains committed to the market and wants to help realize Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s goal of universal connectivity. Starlink says it already has more than 20 gateway sites and hundreds of antennas on the ground in India, and has adapted its operations to meet the country’s regulatory, security, and data-sovereignty requirements.

The dispute has deep roots. SpaceX first tried to launch Starlink in India in 2021, but had to refund preorders in early 2022 after the government said it was marketing the service before securing the necessary licenses. Starlink also previously clashed with India’s largest telecom operators over how satellite spectrum should be allocated — Starlink pushed for an administrative assignment, while Reliance Jio argued for an auction that could have made Starlink’s entry more expensive. India ultimately sided with Starlink’s preferred approach. Jio and Airtel, India’s two biggest telecom operators, are also pursuing their own satellite services even as they have agreed to distribute Starlink.

While the timing of Starlink’s India launch remains unclear, the company this week launched Starlink Mobile, which connects ordinary phones to satellites, in neighboring Bangladesh.

Starlink, India’s Ministry of Communications, Reliance Jio, and Bharti Airtel did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Why it matters

Musk’s public pressure campaign raises the political stakes for India’s regulators just as Starlink nears entry, and the outcome will shape how quickly satellite broadband reaches a market of more than a billion internet subscribers that still lacks widespread high-speed access.