Elon Musk fires another salvo over Starlink delay, targets Ambani again

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk on Friday fired another salvo over the delay in the commercial rollout of Starlink in India, taking swipe at billionaire Mukesh Ambani. In a post on X, Musk addressed the Reliance Industries chairman as “Prime Minister Ambani”, alleging that he was the “real boss of India” and questioning why Starlink was yet to receive the necessary clearances to begin commercial operations.

“Dear Prime Minister Ambani, Please accept my humble apologies for not realizing that you are the real boss of India. 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. He argued that Starlink could improve access to the internet in underserved parts of the country, particularly for children seeking educational opportunities and small businesses looking to reach international markets.

“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. Thank you” he added. Musk's latest remarks come a day after he accused unnamed Indian business groups of obstructing Starlink's entry to protect their market positions. He had alleged that the company was being blocked by “certain oligarchs” seeking to maintain a “monopolistic chokehold on the Indian people”. The Indian government has rejected the allegations, maintaining that the delay stems from pending regulatory and security requirements rather than preferential treatment for domestic telecom companies.

At the India Mobile Congress (IMC) 2026 in New Delhi, Union communications minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said India would not permit a monopoly in any sector and that three satellite communication operators had received licences. These include Reliance Jio Satcom, Bharti Airtel-backed Eutelsat OneWeb and Starlink. Amazon's Project Kuiper has also expressed interest in entering the market and will undergo the standard evaluation process.

Scindia said the government was finalising the satellite spectrum pricing framework, while security assessments by the Ministry of Home Affairs and other agencies were under way. Commercial operations can begin once the companies meet the prescribed requirements. The government has also said security clearances remain pending for all three licensed operators, rejecting the suggestion that Starlink alone is facing regulatory hurdles.