Dubai: It all started in early October, when Elon Musk decided to vent out his frustration on his social media platform X. But what really was bothering the world’s richest man, that he had to publicly call it out? Musk was blaming unnamed ‘oligarchs’ for blocking Starlink in India
Ten days of posts on X followed, where he went on to sarcastically claim Reliance chairman Mukesh Ambani to be running India. It was a one-sided conversation, but Musk found support in many opposition leaders, who used the opportunity, without giving Musk any clear solution. On October 16, Reliance Industry chose to respond with a post on X, saying it welcomed competition and had “never feared” rivals.
The row now pits SpaceX’s satellite arm against Jio, India’s largest mobile operator. Jio says its own satellite services also await clearances. But to understand where things stand and what lies ahead, here's a clear timeline of how this feud unfolded.
A long wait for Starlink
Spectrum pricing in India remains a live issue. Starlink has waited since 2022 for licences to operate commercially in India. Musk and Jio clashed for months over how spectrum should be granted. Starlink wanted satellite airwaves allocated administratively, while Jio pushed for an auction. In 2024, the government sided with Musk and argued that satellite spectrum is shared and hence cannot be auctioned.
Both sides then softened their stance Jio and Airtel announced deals in March 2025 to stock Starlink equipment. The telecoms ministry issued a licence on June 6, 2025. The space regulator IN-SPACe followed on July 9, 2025, leaving out spectrum, ground infrastructure and security testing.
Starlink is licensed in over 165 countries and has spent five years complying with every single law and requirement of the government of India, so why still no license? Is Ambani the real boss of India?
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 8, 2026
October 7: The “oligarchs” post
Musk wrote that Starlink was “being blocked by certain oligarchs” protecting a monopolistic chokehold on Indians. He called it a crime against the people of India. In this post he named no one and gave no evidence.
October 8: “Is Ambani the real boss of India?”
Musk named his target the next day. “Is Ambani the real boss of India?” he asked. He added that Starlink is licensed in over 165 countries and has spent five years complying with Indian requirements, and asked why it still has no licence.
India’s communications ministry replied without naming him. It called its satcom framework “fair and non-discriminatory”. Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi told Musk to “wait till you discover the other guy.” Musk agreed the situation was troubling.
The telecom ministry on its part set the record straight on October 8. It called the suggestion of unfair treatment “baseless and misconceived”.
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? There are many areas of India, as there are in all countries, with no Internet access, which denies children the opportunity for education and for small businesses the opportunity to sell their goods to a global market. Starlink would change their lives for the better. Thank you
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 9, 2026
October 9: “Prime Minister Ambani”
Musk escalated that conversation late that evening. He wrote “Dear Prime Minister Ambani” and asked whether Ambani would “consider allowing Starlink to compete”. He also apologised sarcastically for not realising Ambani was India’s “real boss”.
Telecom minister Jyotiraditya Scindia answered within hours. He said India “does not allow a monopoly in any sector”. He added that Starlink, Jio Satcom and Eutelsat OneWeb all hold the same licenses.
October 10 and 11: pricing and “shills”
Musk then turned to Ambani’s online defenders. He dismissed their arguments as “absurd hypocrisy and hyperbole”. He conceded Starlink must price affordably. Competition, he argued, would lower Ambani’s profits, but “he is not going out of business”.
#WATCH | Delhi: Following Rahul Gandhi and Elon Musk's exchange on X, Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia says, "I have already defined the government's stand and the government's policy, and I have mentioned to you that there are three parties that have the license. There's not a single party. As far as the Congress party is concerned, I don't think they themselves know whether they are going left or right. They first had a problem initially with a certain person getting a license. Now they have a problem, and they have allied with that person in terms of why he's not getting the license. I don't know whether they have clarity in terms of where they are going. But that is the case with the Congress, which is to be expected. We are very clear on our stand. There are three parties that have got a license. As and when the government decides the charge system on a revenue basis, that spectrum will be assigned to them, and as and when they individually fulfill the security conditions, then they can start operations."
— ANI (@ANI) October 9, 2026
October 16: Reliance replies
Reliance broke its silence on X. It said it wanted to “place the facts on record” and noted that the government applies one process to every applicant, Indian or foreign. The company reminded readers that Jio entered the market in 2016 with no customers and now serves over 530 million.
The closing line carried the message: “We welcome competition in satellite communications, including Starlink.” Reliance added that every player, Jio included, must follow the laws of the land, without specifically calling out Musk.
Statement from Reliance Industries 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. 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.
— Reliance Industries Limited (@RIL_Updates) October 16, 2026
What happens next
The timing of these events is what has raised many an eyebrow. Jio Platforms is said to be preparing an IPO with a Dh389 billion valuation. The IPO is likely to open for subscription on October 21 and shares could list on October 28. The price band is ₹1,065 to ₹1,119 a share.
At the top end, Jio seeks ₹30,213 crore or Dh11.8 billion, which would beat Hyundai Motor India’s ₹27,800 crore issue of October 2024, India’s current record.
According to the ministry, Starlink, Jio and Airtel are all at “broadly the same regulatory stage”. All three face security assessments first. Each must show compliance with security conditions before seeking spectrum. A telecom license alone does not allow commercial services. Which means that each operator can only move to the spectrum step once it completes all the due processes. So far, no launch date has been announced by any of the contending operators.