Elon Musk has taken his fight over Starlink's stalled entry into India to a new, sharper pitch, posting a sarcastic open letter on Friday that addressed Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani as "Prime Minister Ambani" and accused him of preserving a monopoly over the country's internet market. The broadside is the latest salvo in a three-day barrage of posts by Musk, and it drew a firm public rebuff from the Indian government.
"Dear Prime Minister Ambani," Musk wrote on X on 9 October, "Please accept my humble apologies for not realizing that you are the real boss of India." He added that while Ambani would "naturally" prefer to "maintain your monopolistic exploitation of the great people of India," he hoped the billionaire would "nonetheless consider allowing Starlink to compete."
The post, reported by Arab Times, capped three consecutive days of aggressive messaging. Earlier in the week Musk had claimed that unnamed "oligarchs" were orchestrating delays to protect a "monopolistic chokehold on the Indian people," then followed up by polling his followers: "Is Ambani the real boss of India?" This week's escalation follows the earlier round of the dispute that New Delhi answered on 8 October, covered in our earlier report on India's defence of its satellite approval process.
Musk's case for Starlink
Musk argued that satellite broadband would transform lives across India, writing that "many areas of India, as there are in all countries, have no Internet access, which denies children the opportunity for education and for small businesses the opportunity to sell their goods to a global market." He said Starlink "would change their lives for the better" and pointed to its record in disaster zones: "Starlink has proven to be essential for saving lives during natural disasters throughout the world, when all other communications systems have failed."
He also renewed his core complaint about the regulatory timeline: Starlink is licensed in more than 165 countries and has spent five years complying with Indian law, he said — so why is final approval still outstanding? He offered no public evidence that Ambani or any other business figure had personally intervened to block the service.
New Delhi pushes back
India's Ministry of Communications dismissed Musk's allegations, describing suggestions that the regulatory framework was unfair or discriminatory as "baseless and misconceived." The ministry said Starlink, Eutelsat OneWeb and Jio Satellite Communications — the joint venture between Reliance Industries and SES — were all at broadly the same stage of the approval process, with security clearances and spectrum allocation still outstanding for each.
Telecom Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia addressed the matter directly at a media briefing on Friday: "India does not allow a monopoly in any sector," he said, rejecting the suggestion that Ambani was personally blocking Starlink's launch.
Ambani's Reliance Jio did not respond to requests for comment on Musk's remarks, according to Reuters.
A four-year wait — and real security questions
Starlink has been seeking to enter the Indian market since 2021. Although it has secured key licences and signed distribution agreements with Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel for its equipment and services, it cannot begin commercial operations until the remaining regulatory requirements — chiefly security compliance conditions and a spectrum assignment — are met.
The government has pointed to concrete security concerns behind the slow pace. Indian authorities have raised alarms after Starlink equipment was recovered during a drug-smuggling investigation in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in 2024 and again during an army operation in Manipur, according to TBS News.
Those concerns cut both ways for Musk: the same satellite network he pitches as a lifeline for unconnected villages is also a tool that states fear can evade their control. That tension — between connectivity and sovereignty — is likely to keep this dispute alive long after the X posts fade.
Why it matters
India's telecom market, with more than a billion internet users, is dominated by the mobile networks of Ambani's Reliance Jio and Sunil Mittal's Bharti Airtel — both of which are themselves pursuing satellite ventures. Whoever controls the gateways to rural connectivity will shape the country's digital economy for a generation. The Musk–Ambani feud has echoes of Musk's other brushes with governments over Starlink, and it shows no sign of ending quietly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why has Starlink not launched in India yet?
Starlink has secured primary licences in India but still needs to meet security compliance conditions and receive a spectrum assignment before it can begin commercial operations. The government says Starlink, Eutelsat OneWeb and Jio Satellite are all at broadly the same stage of the process.
What did Elon Musk accuse Mukesh Ambani of?
In a series of posts on X this week, Musk suggested that unnamed "oligarchs" — widely read as a reference to Ambani — were using political influence to block Starlink's entry in order to preserve their market dominance. He offered no public evidence for the claim, and Reliance Jio did not respond to requests for comment.
What did India's government say in response?
The Ministry of Communications called the allegations "baseless and misconceived," saying the approval framework is fair and non-discriminatory. Telecom Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said "India does not allow a monopoly in any sector" and noted that all satellite applicants, including Ambani's Jio venture, are at the same stage of approvals.
