Elon Musk publicly questioned Mukesh Ambani's influence on October 8 as Starlink continued waiting to offer satellite internet to Indian customers after more than five years trying to enter the market. India's government says Starlink and two other licensed operators must complete security checks before moving toward commercial service.
Musk's post on X singled out the Reliance Industries chairman a day after he alleged that unnamed business interests were obstructing Starlink to protect their control of the market. He supplied no evidence for that allegation, and the Ministry of Communications rejected the suggestion that Starlink was being treated differently.
“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?” Musk wrote. “Is Ambani the real boss of India?”
Musk argued that Starlink could provide affordable, fast internet for people without access, and claimed the company had spent five years meeting India's legal requirements. He also questioned why it still lacked a license, although the government says Starlink is already among the country's three licensed satellite operators.
The exchange drew a response on X from Rahul Gandhi, whom Musk subsequently thanked.
Licenses Still Require Security Clearance
The government identifies the other licensees as Reliance Jio's satellite venture and Eutelsat OneWeb, which has Bharti's backing. None can start selling service until they finish the required security reviews and obtain the necessary spectrum approvals.
The Ministry of Communications says the three operators have reached the same point in the regulatory process. Security assessments must finish before the companies can apply for spectrum, the radio frequencies used to transmit satellite signals.
Starlink has secured major regulatory approvals and struck distribution agreements with Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel last year, but commercial operations have yet to begin. Jio and Airtel are also developing satellite internet businesses of their own while agreeing to distribute Starlink.
Starlink says it has established more than 20 gateway sites in India, along with hundreds of antennas, and adjusted its operations to satisfy local security and data-sovereignty rules. Lauren Dreyer, Starlink's vice president of business operations, reiterated its commitment to India at India Mobile Congress on October 7.
The company's first attempt to start service in India came in 2021. It refunded equipment preorders in early 2022 after the government objected to taking orders before the required licenses were in place.
Minister of State for Communications Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani said the pending issue sits with the Ministry of Home Affairs and applies beyond any single company. Starlink's Indian launch date remains uncertain while the security assessment and spectrum approval process continues.
