SpaceX owner Elon Musk has never shied away from starting a social media spat, be it with his own family members or U.S. President Donald Trump.
Mr. Musk has now taken aim at India’s billionaire Mukesh Ambani, accusing the chairman and managing director of Reliance Industries of being the real “boss” of India, and playing a role in keeping Starlink’s satellite internet out of the Indian market to favour Jio.
What has Mr. Musk said about Mr. Ambani?
On October 9, Mr. Musk posted on X a mockingly subservient tweet addressed to “Prime Minister Ambani,” apologising for “not realising that you are the real boss of India,” and accused him of wanting to maintain his “monopolistic exploitation of the great people of India,” before asking him for permission to allow Starlink to compete in the market. Mr. Musk claimed that Starlink would help close internet connectivity gaps across the country and could help save lives during natural disasters.
Critics of Mr. Musk were infuriated by what they felt was the undermining of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as well as the accusation that India’s government is under Mr. Ambani’s influence. Others flagged that the price of Starlink’s service, both hardware and subscriptions, was many times more than the services offered by India-based internet service providers.
On October 11, Mr. Musk posted that competition would benefit Indian customers by giving them more choices and that prices would be adjusted accordingly.
“Ambani’s profits will be lower, but he is not going out of business. And, obviously, if Starlink is too expensive in India, no one will buy it, so SpaceX will need to make pricing affordable,” stated Mr. Musk.
What is the status of Starlink’s licence in India?
Mr. Musk claimed that Starlink has not been licensed in India, in spite of spending five years complying with the government laws and requirements.
In March 2025, SpaceX announced that it had partnered with Jio Platforms to offer Starlink broadband internet service to customers in India, subject to SpaceX receiving separate authorisations to offer Starlink in India. (A similar agreement was also signed with Bharti Airtel.)
Under the 2025 agreement, the two companies were set to explore service collaborations so Jio Platforms would make Starlink solutions available through its own retail channels.
It is unclear whether that agreement will hold after Mr. Musk’s gibe against Mr. Ambani and the Indian government.
Apart from the deals between the two companies, SpaceX has a Global Mobile Personal Communications by Satellite (GMPCS) authorisation from the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), The Hindu reported this month, but security clearances are pending.
Similarly, ANI reported that licensing was complete for Starlink, Reliance Jio Satcom, and Eutelsat OneWeb, while security checks are in progress.
Why is the timing of this clash significant?
The timing is crucial as Jio Platforms is preparing for an initial public offering (IPO), which is expected to take place later this month, per media reports; a company at this stage likely prefers a stable regulatory environment and positive media coverage.
A world-famous billionaire attacking an IPO-bound company by accusing it of undermining India’s market sovereignty could make the situation tenuous. Mr. Musk’s intimacy with the White House could potentially escalate the online spat.
Mr. Trump has in the past threatened penalties when other countries — such as Australia and the UK — slowed the foreign operations of U.S. tech giants.
Another factor to consider is the ongoing protest against the Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over allegations of irregularities in the electoral rolls vetting process. Delhi residents have been affected by one of the largest internet shutdowns in the capital’s history.
By contrast, Starlink has been used to access the internet during times of war and civil unrest, such as (legally) during Ukraine’s defence against Russian invasion, and Iran’s anti-government protests (illegally). For the Indian government, ensuring that all telecom companies comply with its internet blackouts is a serious priority.
Mr. Musk has stressed that Starlink beams are turned off over India, and that illegal use is not possible.
For the time being, the Starlink app remains available for download in the country, advertising a starting price of $55 per month for 100Mbps and unlimited data.
Meanwhile, the Indian government denied it allowed monopolies to form in any sector.