Musk’s Starlink India row brings him reality check

Elon Musk’s criticism of India’s business environment has drawn sharp reactions on X, with users questioning his own political spending in the US and pointing to reports on his support for Donald Trump’s election campaign.

One user posted, “Sit down Elon, we have a bigger fish to catch,” alongside a Forbes report on Musk spending more than $200 million to help Trump get elected. Others shared reports putting his contributions to the 2024 election cycle at nearly $288 million and questioned his comments on business influence and monopolies.

The online pushback came after Musk shared media reports about alleged links between corporate money and political campaigns in India while taking a swipe at the country’s business environment amid the delay in Starlink’s launch. In one post, he addressed Prime Minister Narendra Modi as “Prime Minister Ambani”, suggesting that powerful business interests were standing in the way of competition.

X users question Musk’s political spending

Some users drew comparisons between Musk’s criticism of Indian business interests and his own political activity in the US.

One user shared a Forbes report titled “Elon Musk Spent Over $200 Million To Help Trump Get Elected” and wrote: “Sit down Elon, we have a bigger fish to catch.”

Another posted a report putting Musk’s donations during the 2024 election cycle at $288 million. A separate post cited figures suggesting that Musk had contributed more than $300 million across the 2024 election cycle and subsequent midterm political operations, with a substantial share channelled through America PAC.

One X user commented, “Only to keep out BYD cars out of US market”, apparently linking Musk’s political spending to restrictions affecting Chinese electric vehicle makers in the US. The comment reflected the user’s interpretation and did not establish that Musk’s donations were made for that purpose.

Another user shared a CNN report on Musk’s spending to help elect Trump, including through a super PAC, and accused him of hypocrisy. The post used insulting language about Trump while questioning Musk’s political support for the US president.

Epstein report also features in online reactions

Some users brought up a separate Al Jazeera report on scrutiny of Musk, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates and US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick over their past contacts with Jeffrey Epstein.

One X user introduced the report with the comment: “Okay so we are quoting ‘Al Jazeera’ as a ‘News’ source. Then here we go”.

The report said newly released files suggested that the men had more extensive contact with Epstein than previously known. The report and the reactions to it do not, by themselves, establish wrongdoing by those named.

Why Musk took aim at India’s business environment

Musk’s posts followed his sharing of media reports concerning alleged links between corporate money and political campaigns in India. One was an Al Jazeera report from 2022 alleging that a Reliance-funded firm helped boost BJP campaigns on Facebook. Another concerned Qwik Supply, a Reliance-linked company that donated through electoral bonds, including contributions to the BJP and Shiv Sena.

Taking a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Musk wrote on X: “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 argued that Starlink could expand internet access in underserved areas, particularly for children and 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. Thank you,” he wrote.

He also highlighted the satellite internet service’s role during emergencies, writing: “Also, Starlink has proven to be essential for saving lives during natural disasters throughout the world, when all other communications systems have failed, so you would also be helping save men, women and children throughout India,”

In another post, Musk questioned the delay in securing approval for the service, saying: “Starlink is licensed in over 165 countries and has spent five years complying with every single law and requirement of the government of India, so why still no license?”

His remarks came amid the long-awaited entry of Starlink, his satellite internet company, into India. The company’s rollout has involved regulatory approvals, security requirements and the allocation of spectrum needed to provide services. Musk has framed the delay as a question of competition and access to the Indian market, while the government has maintained that operators must meet the applicable regulatory and security conditions before launching services.

Government rejects monopoly allegation

Union Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia has pushed back against the suggestion that India is allowing a monopoly in satellite communications, saying the country does not permit monopolies and that companies must comply with its regulatory and security requirements.

Starlink, Reliance Jio’s satellite communications arm and Eutelsat OneWeb have received licences, while Amazon’s Project Kuiper has also expressed interest in the Indian market.

However, regulatory approval is still a key hurdle, with security clearances from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and spectrum assignment among the requirements that need to be completed before services can begin.

The government’s position is that all satellite operators must meet the applicable regulatory and security conditions before rolling out services.

Rahul Gandhi joins the exchange

The dispute also drew a political response from Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who replied to Musk: “Welcome to India, Elon. Wait till you discover the other guy.”

Musk responded: “Thank you, Rahul. This is indeed troubling.”