Elon Musk has renewed his criticism of Reliance Industries chairperson Mukesh Ambani as Starlink awaits approval to begin commercial operations in India. Musk accused Ambani of blocking competition and mockingly called him the country’s “prime minister” in a post on X.
In a separate post, Musk argued that Starlink could connect areas without internet access, help children learn and allow small businesses to reach customers worldwide. Reliance Jio, the telecom arm of Ambani’s Reliance Industries, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Earlier this week, Musk accused unnamed “oligarchs” of obstructing Starlink’s launch to protect their business interests. India’s Ministry of Communications rejected that claim, saying its satellite communications rules are fair and non-discriminatory. The ministry said Starlink and two other licensed satellite operators are undergoing security assessments before they can receive satellite spectrum, and are at broadly the same regulatory stage.
SpaceX has pursued an India launch for years. Last year, it signed distribution agreements with Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel to offer Starlink after receiving the required approvals. Jio and Airtel are also seeking to launch their own satellite internet services in the country.
The dispute over spectrum allocation preceded Musk’s latest remarks. Starlink sought administrative allocation, while Jio favored an auction. New Delhi chose administrative allocation. Starlink still has no approval to begin commercial operations.
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