Starlink says it is ready to launch in India as Reliance responds to Musk’s competition claims

Elon Musk has shifted his tone about Starlink's access to the Indian market after previous accusations against local businesses. Mukesh Ambani's Reliance Industries responded by affirming competition in satellite communications is welcomed in the country. Starlink and its competitors are preparing to provide satellite internet to remote areas in India. Various companies have received licenses, including Jeff Bezos-led Amazon's Project Kuiper, which is seeking its own authorization.

Starlink tagged Reliance Industries’ statement issued, in which the Mukesh Ambani-led company said it welcomed satellite-comm competition — including Starlink — but urged all players to comply with Indian law

Starlink, Reliance and Bharti Airtel’s OneWeb are at the centre of a growing dispute over competition and regulatory approvals in India’s satellite internet market

Indian billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance said it welcomed competition from Elon Musk’s Starlink and that its own satellite services were also awaiting clearance, its first response to accusations that Ambani was blocking Starlink’s India launch. Musk, the world’s richest man, has repeatedly accused the Indian government and Ambani of stalling Starlink’s years-long efforts to launch in a market of more than a billion internet subscribers. India has denied any bias in its approval process. The Friday statement, which did not name Musk, comes days before Reliance Industries’ digital unit Jio Platforms seeks a $108 billion valuation in India’s largest IPO to date. Jio houses Reliance’s telecom arm, which has over 530 million customers and is a potential competitor to Starlink in India’s internet market. “At Reliance, we have never feared competition,” the conglomerate said on Friday, addressing “remarks about Reliance and the Indian market” in a statement it said was intended to “place the facts on record”. Starlink responded on Friday saying it had worked with Indian regulators and the industry for more than five years and had built dedicated systems, gateways and other infrastructure in the country with the required government approvals. “Starlink is ready to connect India with high-speed internet,” the company said on X. In a separate post responding to Reliance, Musk said: “Much appreciated”. India’s long wait for satellite internet Musk’s posts on X have ranged from asking whether Ambani was the “real boss” of India to addressing him as “Prime Minister Ambani” and asking whether he would allow Starlink to compete. The attacks mark a sharp turn for Musk, who has a warm public rapport with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and come as New Delhi courts foreign investment and negotiates a trade deal with Washington. India has licensed Starlink, Jio’s satellite internet arm and Bharti-backed Eutelsat OneWeb to operate services, but none has the security clearance needed to launch. Satellite broadband could help to connect hundreds of millions of Indians who remain offline, mostly in rural and remote areas. Musk has said he would price Starlink affordably in India to take on Jio’s low-cost internet plans. Cheap data is how Jio built its presence in India, and Musk has used the same strategy in markets like Kenya to disrupt local telecom players.

Indian billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance said it welcomed competition from Elon Musk’s Starlink and that its own satellite services were also awaiting clearance, its first response to accusations that Ambani was blocking Starlink’s India launch. Musk, the world’s richest man, has repeatedly accused the Indian government and Ambani of stalling Starlink’s years-long efforts to launch in a market of more than a billion internet subscribers. India has denied any bias in its approval process. The Friday statement, which did not name Musk, comes days before Reliance Industries’ digital unit Jio Platforms seeks a $108 billion valuation in India’s largest IPO to date. Jio houses Reliance’s telecom arm, which has over 530 million customers and is a potential competitor to Starlink in India’s internet market. “At Reliance, we have never feared competition,” the conglomerate said on Friday, addressing “remarks about Reliance and the Indian market” in a statement it said was intended to “place the facts on record”. Starlink responded on Friday saying it had worked with Indian regulators and the industry for more than five years and had built dedicated systems, gateways and other infrastructure in the country with the required government approvals. “Starlink is ready to connect India with high-speed internet,” the company said on X. In a separate post responding to Reliance, Musk said: “Much appreciated”. India’s long wait for satellite internet Musk’s posts on X have ranged from asking whether Ambani was the “real boss” of India to addressing him as “Prime Minister Ambani” and asking whether he would allow Starlink to compete. The attacks mark a sharp turn for Musk, who has a warm public rapport with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and come as New Delhi courts foreign investment and negotiates a trade deal with Washington. India has licensed Starlink, Jio’s satellite internet arm and Bharti-backed Eutelsat OneWeb to operate services, but none has the security clearance needed to launch. Satellite broadband could help to connect hundreds of millions of Indians who remain offline, mostly in rural and remote areas. Musk has said he would price Starlink affordably in India to take on Jio’s low-cost internet plans. Cheap data is how Jio built its presence in India, and Musk has used the same strategy in markets like Kenya to disrupt local telecom players.

Says it welcomes competition after Musk accuses Ambani of blocking Starlink’s India launch

Elon Musk has mockingly referred to India’s richest person as “Prime Minister Ambani” and has suggested that the billionaire is blocking Starlink’s launch in the country.

Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) has responded to Elon Musk’s allegations that Indian business interests are blocking Starlink’s entry into the…

‘Welcome competition in satcom, including Starlink’: Reliance Industries rebuts Musk's claims

The statement came days after the tech billionaire accused 'oligarchs' of preventing Starlink's rollout in India to protect their monopolies.

Elon Musk had alleged that Ambani was wanting to maintain a ‘monopolistic exploitation’ of Indian consumers.

Reliance Industries Ltd., led by billionaire Mukesh Ambani, pushed back against suggestions that it is trying to keep Elon Musk’s Starlink Inc. out of India, saying its own satellite venture is still awaiting regulatory clearances.

"Jio's own satellite services await clearances," Reliance said on October 16, 2026

Reliance said on X that it wanted to “place the facts on record” amid recent remarks about the company and the Indian market

Reliance Industries welcomed satellite broadband competition, including Starlink, in India, signaling a clearer stance amid Musk’s push to operate there

Reliance statement came days after Musk took swipe at India's billionaire Mukesh Ambani over the delay in launching Starlink's satellite internet services in India.

Reliance Industries has welcomed the entry of Elon Musk's Starlink into the Indian satellite communications market. The company clarified that it has never feared competition and is also awaiting clearances for its satellite services. Musk has alleged that Reliance benefits from monopolistic practices and has questioned regulatory barriers. The Indian government has stated that all companies must comply with existing laws and security requirements.

Reliance Industries on Friday responded to Elon Musk’s criticism over Starlink’s entry into India, saying it has never feared competition and that all satellite communication service providers, including Indian and foreign companies, must comply with the country’s laws and policies.Statement from Reliance Industries In light of recent remarks about Reliance and the Indian market, we wish to place the facts on record.Like every Indian enterprise, Reliance has grown in an India that welcomes investment and innovation, homegrown or international, that…— Reliance Industries Limited (@RIL_Updates) October 16, 2026 In a statement, the company said the Indian government follows the same regulatory process for every applicant, irrespective of whether it is domestic or international. It added that Jio’s own satellite services were also awaiting the necessary clearances.“In light of recent remarks about Reliance and the Indian market, we wish to place the facts on record. Like every Indian enterprise, Reliance has grown in an India that welcomes investment and innovation, homegrown or international, that improve the lives of the people,” the company said. Reliance Says Jio’s Satellite Services Also Await Clearances Addressing the controversy, Reliance said it welcomed competition in satellite communications, including from Musk’s Starlink, but stressed that all players must operate within India’s regulatory framework.“That openness rests on the rule of law. As the Government of India has stated, it applies the same process to every applicant, Indian or foreign. Jio’s own satellite services await clearances,” the statement said.The company cited Jio’s entry into the telecom sector in 2016 as an example of its approach to competition. It said Jio entered the market without a single customer and had since built a base of more than 530 million subscribers, while expanding access to digital infrastructure and affordable data.“At Reliance, we have never feared competition. We see it as the truest test of who serves the customer best,” the company said, reiterating that Jio and every other player must serve Indian consumers while abiding by the country’s laws and policies.Statement Released Days Before Jio IPO LaunchThe statement comes just days before Reliance is set to launch Jio’s IPO next week. The remarks are likely to boost market sentiment and renew buyer confidence. Reliance shares rose nearly 3 per cent yesterday after Jio set its IPO price band at Rs 1,065– Rs 1,119 per share. The Rs 30,213 crore fresh issue will open for subscription on October 21, with a minimum investment of Rs 13,428 for 12 shares. The public issue will remain open until October 23, while anchor investors can bid on October 19, according to Reliance’s regulatory filings. The IPO committee of Jio Platforms’ board approved the price band at its meeting on Wednesday.'Baseless & Misconceived': India Rejects Elon Musk's Claim That Starlink Is Being Blocked Musk Questions Delay In Starlink’s India Entry The statement follows a public exchange between Musk and the Indian government over the regulatory process for Starlink, the satellite broadband arm of his aerospace company SpaceX. On October 7, Musk criticised the hurdles facing Starlink’s entry into India and alleged that 'certain oligarchs' were obstructing the company’s efforts to secure spectrum access.The Union communications ministry rejected the allegations on October 8, describing claims of discrimination as 'baseless and misconceived'. It said India’s satellite communications framework was fair and non-discriminatory, adding that security assessments of three entities were underway and that all were at broadly the same regulatory stage.A post is being circulated in social media regarding the fairness of India’s regulatory framework for satellite communication services and suggesting that it is being applied in a discriminatory manner. The Government has put in place a fair and non-discriminatory authorisation… https://t.co/UKwN8z9zkq pic.twitter.com/NB2bIbje5S— ANI (@ANI) October 8, 2026 Musk later renewed his criticism, saying Starlink was licensed to operate in more than 165 countries and had spent five years complying with Indian rules. Reliance’s response emphasised that the company supports competition in the satellite communications market, while maintaining that regulatory requirements must apply equally to all applicants.

Welcome Starlink competition but all must abide by Indian law Reliance on Musk