New Delhi: Reliance Industries has welcomed competition in India’s satellite communications sector, including Elon Musk’s Starlink, while asserting that all companies must comply with the country’s laws and regulatory requirements.
The statement came after SpaceX CEO Elon Musk accused Reliance chairman Mukesh Ambani’s supporters of opposing Starlink’s entry into India and alleged that existing players were trying to protect their market position.
In a statement posted on X on Friday, Reliance said it supported investment and innovation from both Indian and international companies, but stressed that competition must operate within the framework of the law.
The company also clarified that Jio’s own satellite communication services are awaiting regulatory 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. 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,” the company said.
Reliance further said it had never been afraid of competition and cited Jio’s entry into India’s telecommunications market in 2016 as an example.
“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. We welcome competition in satellite communications, including Starlink. Every player, Jio included, must serve the people of India and abide by the laws and policies of the land,” the statement added.
Musk Accuses Reliance of Opposing Starlink Entry
Reliance’s response followed a series of posts by Musk on X, in which he criticised arguments against Starlink’s entry into India and accused supporters of Ambani of presenting contradictory positions on competition.
“The ridiculous arguments by Ambani’s army of Internet shills make no sense. On the one hand, they say Starlink couldn’t possibly compete with the amazing low prices offered by Ambani’s de facto monopoly in India and then, in the same breath, they essentially claim that Starlink would be too strong of a competitor! This is absurd hypocrisy and hyperbole,” Musk wrote.
He argued that greater competition in satellite communications would benefit Indian consumers by expanding their choices, even if it reduced the profits of existing companies.
“The reality is that competition would greatly benefit the average citizen in India by giving them more choices, as it always does. Ambani’s profits will be lower, but he is not going out of business,” he said.
In an earlier post, Musk had also questioned the regulatory hurdles facing Starlink’s commercial launch in India.
“Dear Prime Minister Ambani, Please accept my humble apologies for not realizing that you are the real boss of India. Naturally, you would prefer to maintain your monopolistic exploitation of the great people of India, but would you nonetheless consider allowing Starlink to compete?” Musk posted.
Government Says No Monopoly Will Be Allowed
Meanwhile, Union Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said there was no question of allowing a monopoly in India’s satellite communications sector.
Scindia said three companies were awaiting final approval for commercial licences and that the government was close to taking a decision on the pricing framework for satellite communication services.
He also emphasised that all licensed operators, including Starlink, would have to meet the required security conditions before beginning commercial operations.
The exchange comes as India moves towards expanding satellite-based internet services, with regulatory approvals, pricing and competition emerging as key issues for companies seeking to enter the market.