Musk targets Ambani in dispute over Starlink’s entry into India

According to the BBC, Musk accused unnamed oligarchs on Wednesday of maintaining a “monopolistic chokehold” on Indian consumers and blocking Starlink’s entry. On Thursday he singled out Mukesh Ambani, asking on X: “Is Ambani the real boss of India?” He also questioned why Starlink still had “no license”. [1]

That question leaves out an important distinction in the BBC’s account: Starlink has secured key licences, but still needs final security clearances and spectrum allocation before it can offer commercial services. The report does not establish that Ambani has intervened in those decisions.

India’s Ministry of Communications rejected the suggestion that its approval framework, or its application, was unfair or discriminatory. According to the BBC, the ministry said Starlink, Eutelsat OneWeb and Jio Satellite Communications were at broadly the same stage, with all three awaiting security clearances and spectrum. That comparison describes their reported current stage, not how long each application has taken. [1]

The business relationship is not solely competitive. The BBC reported that Ambani’s Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel signed agreements with SpaceX in March 2025 to distribute Starlink equipment and services in India, subject to government approval. At the time of its report, the BBC said Ambani and Reliance Group had not responded to Musk’s remarks. [1]