After accusing unnamed “oligarchs” of holding up Starlink, SpaceX founder Elon Musk asked whether Mukesh Ambani was blocking the service. India told Reuters that satellite operators face the same approval process.
Elon Musk publicly challenged Reliance Industries owner Mukesh Ambani after accusing unnamed Indian “oligarchs” of delaying Starlink’s launch. In a post on X, he asked whether Ambani was “the real boss of India.” CNBC reported that Musk said the company had spent five years meeting government requirements.
Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi replied, “Wait till you meet the other one,” in an apparent reference to Gautam Adani. Musk called the response troubling. Reliance Industries did not respond to CNBC’s request for comment. Reuters has described Jio and Airtel as dominant players in India’s telecom market, while CNBC put their combined share at about 80%.
India’s communications ministry told Reuters that the satellite approval process was fair and non-discriminatory. The agency reported that the ministry said three companies were at roughly the same review stage, with security checks under way.
Starlink signed agreements with Jio Platforms and Airtel in March 2025 to explore cross-selling services and received an Indian operating licence in July that year, but it has not launched commercially. Business Standard reported that final clearances, including foreign-investment approval, were still pending.
CNBC reported that Jio plans a network of about 1,600 satellites and 23 ground stations. Starlink has about 11,000 satellites serving more than 170 countries and territories. Akash Ambani told Moneycontrol that India needs its own technology infrastructure. CNBC also reported that Tesla had sold just over 1,000 cars in India since entering the market last year.