Elon Musk Accuses Ambani of Blocking Starlink’s India Entry as Launch Stalls

Regulatory Dispute Escalates as Musk Points to Oligarchs

Elon Musk took to X to denounce unnamed “oligarchs” he says are preserving a “monopolistic chokehold” on India by stalling SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet service. He labeled the alleged obstruction a “crime against the people of India,” arguing that Starlink could deliver affordable, high‑speed connectivity to millions without access. The Indian government had previously rejected Musk’s claims that powerful business interests were impeding the service.

In response, India’s Ministry of Communications described its regulatory framework for satellite communications as “fair and non‑discriminatory.” The ministry noted that Starlink and two other licensed satellite operators are all at “broadly the same regulatory stage,” and each must complete security assessments before applying for spectrum, the radio frequencies satellites use to transmit signals.

Musk Directly Targets Reliance Chair Ambani

On Thursday, Musk followed up by questioning the influence of Reliance Industries chairperson Mukesh Ambani, asking in a post on X,

Is Ambani the real boss of India

? He reiterated that Starlink has spent years complying with Indian regulations yet still lacks a license.

Starlink’s effort to enter India has stretched over more than five years in a market of more than a billion internet subscribers. Despite securing key regulatory approvals and partnering last year with telecom giants Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel, the service has not launched commercially. SpaceX established a local team for the launch and appointed former Payoneer executive Prabhakar Jayakumar to lead India operations in December.

Starlink’s Readiness and Commitment to India

Earlier this week, Lauren Dreyer, Starlink’s vice president of business operations, addressed the India Mobile Congress in New Delhi. She declared,

We stand ready to serve India

, and said the company aims to support Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s goal of universal connectivity across the country.

Starlink reports it already operates more than 20 gateway sites and has installed hundreds of antennas across India, all adapted to meet the nation’s regulatory, security, and data‑sovereignty requirements. The company positions its satellite network as a complement to, not a replacement for, India’s existing terrestrial telecom infrastructure.

History of Regulatory Hurdles and Spectrum Debate

SpaceX first attempted to launch Starlink in India in 2021. After the Indian government flagged the company for “booking/rendering the satellite internet service” before obtaining necessary licenses, SpaceX refunded preorders for its equipment in early 2022.

Starlink also clashed with India’s largest telecom operators over how satellite spectrum should be allocated. While Starlink advocated for administrative assignment of spectrum, Reliance Jio pushed for an auction, a stance that could have raised entry costs. India ultimately sided with Starlink’s preferred approach, deciding to allocate satellite spectrum administratively rather than through an auction.

Competitive Landscape and Regional Moves

India’s two biggest telecom operators, Jio and Airtel, are developing their own satellite internet services even as they agreed to distribute Starlink in India. Jio is collaborating with satellite operator SES on broadband, while Airtel is a major backer of Eutelsat OneWeb, another licensed satellite operator in the country.

While the timing of Starlink’s commercial launch in India remains unclear, the company this week introduced Starlink Mobile, a service that connects ordinary phones to satellites, in neighboring Bangladesh.

Responses and Update

Starlink, India’s Ministry of Communications, Reliance Jio, and Bharti Airtel did not immediately provide comment.

Update: This article was originally published October 7 at 11:14 p.m. PDT and has since been updated to include Musk’s comments questioning Reliance Industries chairperson Mukesh Ambani’s influence in India.