Musk Taunts Ambani as ‘India's Prime Minister’ Over Starlink Battle

NEW DELHI, Oct 10: Elon Musk has escalated his public dispute over Starlink’s delayed entry into India, sarcastically addressing billionaire Mukesh Ambani as “Prime Minister Ambani” and accusing him of seeking to preserve his alleged monopoly over the country’s internet market.

In a post on X, Musk wrote: “Please accept my humble apologies for not realizing that you are the real boss of India.” He urged Ambani to allow Starlink to compete, arguing that satellite internet could connect underserved communities, improve educational opportunities for children and help small businesses reach global markets. 

The remarks followed Musk’s earlier accusation that unnamed powerful business interests were blocking Starlink’s entry into India to protect their market dominance. He described the alleged obstruction as a “crime against the people of India,” without providing publicly substantiated evidence of interference by Ambani or other business leaders.

India’s Ministry of Communications rejected the allegations, describing suggestions that the regulatory framework was unfair or discriminatory as “baseless and misconceived.” The government said Starlink, Reliance Jio’s satellite communications venture and Eutelsat OneWeb were at broadly the same stage of the approval process, with security assessments and spectrum-related clearances still required before commercial services could begin. Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia also rejected the suggestion that Ambani was blocking Starlink, saying India did not permit monopolies in any sector.

Starlink, operated by Musk’s SpaceX, has been seeking to enter the Indian market since 2021. Although it has secured key licences and signed agreements with Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel to distribute its equipment and services, it cannot launch commercial operations until the remaining regulatory requirements are met.

The dispute comes as Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel prepare their own satellite internet services, intensifying competition in one of the world’s largest internet markets. Both companies have also entered into partnerships with SpaceX, underscoring the complex commercial relationships among the competing players.

Reliance and Ambani had not publicly responded to Musk’s latest remarks in the reports cited. Questions also remain over the affordability of Starlink’s service in India, particularly for rural households that Musk says could benefit from improved connectivity.