Elon Musk revives political donation reports in India's Starlink dispute

Elon Musk shared reports about Reliance-linked companies and BJP funding on X on October 10, escalating his dispute with Mukesh Ambani over the delayed launch of Starlink in India.

The Hindu reported that Musk circulated a 2022 Al Jazeera investigation into BJP campaigns on Facebook involving a Reliance-funded company, alongside a 2024 Indian Express report on Qwik Supply's political donations. The latter reported electoral bond donations of ₹385 crore to the BJP and ₹25 crore to the Shiv Sena.

Musk revived previously published information amid his satellite internet dispute. He accuses powerful business interests of trying to preserve market dominance and obstruct Starlink. Those accusations have not been established as fact.

The Hindu said Reliance had not publicly responded to the current allegations. In 2024, however, a spokesperson for the group told PTI that Qwik Supply was not a subsidiary of any Reliance entity.

Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said at the India Mobile Congress in Delhi on October 9 that India does not allow monopolies. He said Starlink, Jio Satcom and Bharti-backed Eutelsat OneWeb already hold satellite communications licences. Amazon's Project Kuiper has expressed interest and must follow the established procedure.

Spectrum allocation will follow the government's decision on charges, Scindia said. Each operator can begin service after meeting security requirements. He said TRAI and the telecommunications department were close to a final decision on the pricing framework.

Musk previously claimed that Starlink is licensed in more than 165 countries and has spent five years meeting Indian requirements. He argues that the service would improve access to education, markets for small businesses and communications during disasters. The Indian government says its authorisation system is fair and denies applying the rules selectively.