Elon Musk has turned Starlink's long wait for an Indian launch into a public war of words with Mukesh Ambani. Over several days this week, the SpaceX chief posted on X that Starlink was being blocked in India by "certain oligarchs", asked "Is Ambani the real boss of India?" and posted a mock open letter addressed to "Prime Minister Ambani". The government has hit back in the Starlink row, saying its satellite internet rules are fair and that no company is being favoured.
Musk has offered no evidence that Reliance influenced the approval process, and Reliance Jio has not commented on his posts.
How the row unfolded
- Wednesday, October 7: Musk said on X that Starlink was being blocked by unnamed oligarchs protecting a monopoly, calling it a crime against the people of India. He said Starlink is licensed in more than 165 countries and has spent about five years meeting Indian rules. The same day, a SpaceX executive told India Mobile Congress that Starlink has about 20 gateway sites ready in India.
- Thursday, October 8: Musk asked whether Ambani was "the real boss of India". The Department of Telecommunications issued a statement calling claims of discrimination baseless.
- Friday, October 9: Musk posted a sarcastic open letter to "Prime Minister Ambani", asking whether Starlink would be allowed to compete. Telecom Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia responded at IMC that "India does not allow a monopoly in any sector".
- Saturday, October 10: Musk kept posting on the issue, and opposition leaders joined the debate.
What the government says
According to the Ministry of Communications, three companies hold GMPCS licences for low-earth-orbit satellite internet: Starlink, Jio Satellite Communications and Eutelsat OneWeb. All three are going through security assessments, and none can be assigned spectrum until that is done. The ministry said all three are at "broadly the same regulatory stage".
Scindia said services can begin only after Home Ministry security clearance and once the spectrum charge is finalised, and that the government is technology-agnostic.
The real hold-up
The fight over how satellite spectrum is handed out has already been settled, and in Starlink's favour. Jio had pushed for an auction, while Starlink wanted administrative allocation. The government chose administrative assignment.
What remains pending is:
- Security clearance from the Home Ministry, covering data storage, gateways and lawful interception.
- Cabinet approval of pricing: the Digital Communications Commission has backed a spectrum charge of 5% of adjusted gross revenue, reduced to 4% for rural and remote areas, which still needs Cabinet sign-off.
- Final spectrum assignment to each licensee.
Starlink in India: key facts
| Licence | GMPCS licence and IN-SPACe authorisation granted |
| Rivals licensed | Jio Satellite Communications, Eutelsat OneWeb |
| Spectrum method | Administrative allocation (not auction) |
| Proposed charge | 5% of AGR; 4% for rural areas (awaiting Cabinet) |
| Pending | Home Ministry security clearance, spectrum assignment |
| Distribution deals | Airtel and Jio signed to sell Starlink kits once approved (2025) |
| Commercial launch | Not yet |
The Jio IPO backdrop
The spat comes as Reliance prepares to list Jio Platforms. Reuters, citing bankers, reported that the IPO is targeting a valuation of about Rs 10.3 lakh crore (around $106 billion), with a price band of Rs 1,065-1,119 per share, making it India's biggest listing. Reports say the issue opens on October 21. No official source has linked the IPO to Musk's posts.
What it means for you
If you were hoping to order a Starlink dish soon, you will have to wait a little longer. No satellite internet company, Starlink, Jio or OneWeb, can sell services commercially until clearances and pricing are finalised. When they do launch, the main beneficiaries will be homes and businesses in rural, hilly, island and border areas where fibre and mobile networks are weak. For city users, satellite broadband is likely to be a backup rather than a replacement for home fibre.
What happens next
Scindia said the government is close to a final decision on pricing. Once the Cabinet clears it and the Home Ministry completes security checks, spectrum can be assigned and the first commercial satellite internet services could start. Until then, expect more noise on X, but no Starlink orders.
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