Musk targets Ambani again, renews call for Starlink's India approval
What's the story
Elon Musk has renewed his appeal for the Indian government to approve Starlink's operations in the country. Musk took to X, highlighting that many regions in India lack internet connectivity. He stressed that this lack of access denies children their right to education and small businesses their chance at a global market. However, in the same post, Musk continued to criticize Reliance Industries Chairperson Mukesh Ambani, calling him the country's "Prime Minister."
Market transformation
Musk highlights need for satellite internet in India
Musk wrote that Ambani would naturally want to maintain his monopolistic hold over the Indian market but asked whether he would still consider allowing Starlink to compete.
"Starlink would change their lives for the better," he added, stressing how his company's satellite internet service could transform education and business opportunities in India.
However, despite having a satellite communication permit and authorization from the Indian space regulator IN-SPACe, Starlink is yet to start commercial operations in India.
Twitter Post
'Dear Prime Minister Ambani'
Dear Prime Minister Ambani,
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 9, 2026
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…
Allegations
The 'oligarchs' allegation: Musk's spat with the Indian government
Starlink is still awaiting security clearance, which has delayed its entry since 2022 due to various concerns.
On Wednesday, Musk alleged that unnamed "oligarchs" are blocking Starlink's entry into India to maintain their "monopolistic chokehold" on the market.
However, the Ministry of Communications dismissed these claims as "baseless and misconceived."
The ministry clarified that it has a fair and non-discriminatory authorization framework for all telecom services including satellite communication, and each licensee must comply with security conditions.
Regulatory progress
Clash with Reliance Jio over spectrum assignment
Starlink's plans for India have been facing delays for years.
In November 2021, the Ministry of Communications had warned the public against subscribing to Starlink services after it started taking bookings without a license.
The company has also clashed with Reliance Jio over spectrum assignment for satellite services.
However, India sided with Starlink's view that spectrum should be assigned administratively rather than auctioned off.
Business collaborations
Starlink granted license in June 2025
In March 2025, Starlink signed agreements with Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio for network equipment distribution, business connectivity, and rural connectivity.
The company got its license in June 2025, becoming the third satcom company to do so after Eutelsat OneWeb and Jio Satellite Communications.
In July 2025, IN-SPACe approved Starlink's Gen 1 constellation of 4,408 satellites, but rejected its application for a proposed 30,000-satellite constellation due to non-conformity of certain features and spectrum bands.
Service constraints
What are the plans for Starlink in India?
In July 2025, Minister of State for Communications Pemmasani Chandra Sekhar announced that Starlink would be restricted to 20 lakh customers in India with speeds up to 200Mbps.
He said the service will be mainly aimed at rural and remote areas.
At the India Mobile Congress, SpaceX VP for Starlink business operations, Lauren Dreyer, said the company had built 20 gateway sites and hundreds of antennas in India.