Highlights
- Reliance says it has “never feared competition” and welcomes Starlink into India’s satellite communications market.
- Elon Musk has accused Indian “oligarchs” of blocking Starlink to protect monopolies.
- Jio Platforms is awaiting regulatory clearance for its satellite internet service.
- Jio is preparing for a planned $3.2 billion initial public offering, which could value the business at $108 billion.
RELIANCE INDUSTRIES, owned by Indian billionaire Mukesh Ambani, has rejected suggestions that it is obstructing Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite internet service in India, saying its own satellite business is also awaiting regulatory clearance.
In its first response to Musk’s accusations, the conglomerate said on Friday (16) that it welcomed competition in the sector and had “never feared competition”.
“We see it as the truest test of who serves the customer best. We welcome competition in satellite communications, including Starlink,” Reliance said in a statement addressing recent remarks about the company and the Indian market.
Although the statement did not mention Musk by name, it directly addressed the dispute over Starlink’s long-awaited entry into India, a market with more than a billion internet subscribers.
Reliance said every operator, including its telecom business Jio, must serve the Indian public and comply with the country’s laws and policies.
Musk, the world’s richest man, has repeatedly accused powerful business interests of preventing Starlink from launching in India to protect established telecom operators. Earlier this month, he alleged on X that the service was being “blocked by certain oligarchs to maintain their monopolistic chokehold on the Indian people”.
He described the alleged obstruction as “a crime against the people of India” and subsequently addressed Ambani in a post as “Prime Minister Ambani”, an apparent dig at the industrialist’s perceived closeness to prime minister Narendra Modi.
India’s communications ministry has rejected suggestions of preferential treatment, saying the government follows a “fair and non-discriminatory authorisation framework” for telecom services.
Regulatory clearance remains a hurdle
India has granted licences to Starlink, Jio’s satellite internet business and Bharti-backed Eutelsat OneWeb to operate services. However, the companies are still awaiting the security clearances required to launch their satellite internet offerings, according to the reports.
Reliance’s statement emphasised that Jio faced the same outstanding regulatory hurdle as Starlink, countering the suggestion that Ambani was using his influence to keep Musk’s company out of the market.
Elon Musk Getty Images
Satellite broadband could help connect millions of people in India who remain without reliable internet access, particularly those living in rural and remote areas. The potential market has attracted competing companies seeking to expand connectivity beyond the reach of conventional mobile and fixed-line networks.
Musk has said he intends to make Starlink affordable in India, where Jio built its large customer base through low-cost data plans. His company’s entry could increase pressure on established operators, although satellite internet differs from conventional mobile broadband in its technology and service delivery.
Jio and SpaceX signed an agreement in March 2025 to offer Starlink services to Jio customers, but the service has yet to launch in India. The agreement highlights the possibility of cooperation between the companies even as their wider commercial interests overlap.
Jio IPO adds to the timing
Reliance’s response comes days before Jio Platforms’ planned initial public offering, which is expected to be India’s largest to date.
The digital services business is seeking a valuation of about $108 billion (£81bn) and plans to raise $3.2bn (£2.4bn) through the share sale, according to the reports.
Jio Platforms houses Reliance’s digital businesses, including its telecom operations, which have more than 530 million customers. Its scale and low-cost internet offerings make it a significant potential competitor to Starlink as satellite connectivity develops in India.
The planned listing comes as Reliance expands beyond its traditional oil refining and petrochemicals businesses into telecommunications and digital services.
(with inputs from agencies)
