‘Real boss of India’: Elon Musk takes fresh swipe at Mukesh Ambani over Starlink delay

In a sharp post on X, Musk wrote: “Dear Prime Minister Ambani, Please accept my humble apologies for not realizing that you are the real boss of India.”

Taking a further dig at Ambani, Musk questioned whether India would allow Starlink to compete with existing telecom operators.

“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 wrote.

Arguing that Starlink could help bridge India's digital divide, the tech entrepreneur said several parts of the country, as in other nations, still lack internet access, limiting educational opportunities for children and market access for small businesses.

“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,” he said.

Why Is Elon Musk Targeting Mukesh Ambani?

The latest exchange follows Musk's earlier allegations that powerful business interests were preventing Starlink from entering the Indian market.

On Wednesday, Musk responded to a post on X by claiming that certain “oligarchs” were blocking the satellite internet service to protect their dominance over India's telecom sector.

“Unfortunately, we are being blocked by certain oligarchs in order to maintain their monopolistic chokehold on the Indian people. You can guess who they are,” Musk said.

“This is a crime against the people of India!” he added.

Musk's remarks have brought renewed attention to the competition between global satellite internet providers and established Indian telecom operators as Starlink awaits the completion of regulatory requirements for its commercial launch.

Indian Government Responds to Musk's Allegations

The Indian government responded to the allegations in a statement issued on October 8, with the Ministry of Communications maintaining that it had established a fair and non-discriminatory authorisation framework for telecommunications services, including satellite communications.

The ministry said licences had been granted to three global satellite communications providers, although it did not identify them in the statement. It added that every licensee was required to demonstrate compliance with applicable security conditions.

“This is aimed at ensuring that services provided meet various security requirements to ensure safety of all users and their data. Security assessment as part of this process is currently under way in respect of all the three licensees,” the ministry said.

It further clarified that once the security assessment for a licensed entity is completed, the company can proceed to the next stage of seeking spectrum assignment.

“At present, all the three entities are at broadly the same regulatory stage. As such, the suggestion that the framework or its application is unfair or discriminatory is baseless and misconceived,” the ministry said.

According to The Indian Express, Starlink has secured a Global Mobile Personal Communications by Satellite (GMPCS) licence and other statutory approvals required to offer satellite communication services in India.

Bharti-backed Eutelsat OneWeb and Jio Satellite Communications Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Jio Platforms, have also received the relevant licence, the newspaper reported.

Security Concerns Could Delay Starlink's India Launch?

Security requirements and regulatory clearances remain important considerations as India prepares for the potential entry of satellite internet services.

Neil Shah, a partner at global technology market research firm Counterpoint Research, told CNBC that the government had concerns about a foreign company operating in a sensitive technology sector such as satellite communications.

Questions remain over how Starlink's terminals would be geofenced and whether data would be localised, Shah said.

He suggested that Starlink could receive approval around the time Indian companies develop their own satellite internet services.

However, Shah warned that Starlink could dominate India's satellite communications market if it launches without a level playing field for domestic competitors.

The dispute highlights the growing tensions surrounding India's emerging satellite broadband market, where global technology companies and domestic telecom players are competing for access to a potentially significant customer base.