‘Never feared competition’: Reliance Industries on Elon Musk's X remarks over Starlink India entry

Reliance Industries on Friday responded to Elon Musk's recent remarks about the Indian market and its role in Starlink's entry into the country, saying it has never feared competition and that every player must abide by Indian laws and policies.

In a statement, Reliance said the government applies the same process to every applicant, Indian or foreign, adding that Jio's own satellite services were also awaiting clearances.

“In light of recent remarks about Reliance and the Indian market, we wish to place the facts on record. Like every Indian enterprise, Reliance has grown in an India that welcomes investment and innovation, homegrown or international, that improve the lives of the people,” Reliance Industries said in a statement on Friday.

“That openness rests on the rule of law. As the Government of India has stated, it applies the same process to every applicant, Indian or foreign. Jio's own satellite services await clearances,” Reliance's statement read.

“At Reliance, we have never feared competition. We see it as the truest test of who serves the customer best. Jio itself entered India's crowded telecom market in 2016 as the newest player, with not a single customer. In just ten years, Jio has earned the trust of over 530 million customers and given Indians some of the best digital infrastructure and most affordable data in the world,” the company stated.

We welcome competition in satellite communications, including Starlink, Reliance Industries further said, adding that every player, Jio included, “must serve the people of India and abide by the laws and policies of the land.”

SpaceX chief executive officer Musk's swipes at New Delhi on October 7 triggered a back-and-forth between him and the government as he accused “certain oligarchs” of blocking efforts by SpaceX’s satellite broadband arm to gain spectrum access in the country.

On October 8, the communications ministry rejected the charge, calling suggestions of discrimination “baseless and misconceived.” It said India’s satcom framework was fair and non-discriminatory, and that the security assessment of the three entities was underway, with all at “broadly the same regulatory stage.”

Hours later, Musk escalated his attack, saying Starlink was licenced to operate in more than 165 countries and had spent five years complying with Indian rules. “So why still no licence? Is Ambani the real boss of India?” he asked, referring to Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani.