Elon Musk Targets Ambani and BJP over stalled Starlink launch, alleges monopoly

As SpaceX’s plans to launch Starlink in India remain stalled, Elon Musk has turned his sights on both Mukesh Ambani and the ruling party, publicly highlighting political donations by Reliance-backed firms while alleging crony capitalism in the country’s telecom sector.

On Friday, October 9,  Elon Musk in his fresh salvo shared screenshots of news reports which allege a nexus between the Ambani-owned Reliance group and the Bharatiya Janata Party through donations. In a series of X posts Elon Musk has been targeting Mukesh Ambani by insinuating that his Starlink is being denied license in India under the influence of Ambani who also owns the internet network Jio.

“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? Is Ambani the real boss of India?” Musk wrote on his social platform X on October 8.

Starlink, operated by Musk’s SpaceX, provides broadband internet through a network of satellites in low earth orbit. Unlike mobile networks or fibre connections, it can serve customers through a satellite dish, making it potentially useful in remote, rural and mountainous areas where terrestrial networks are difficult to build. India has more than one satellite internet provider awaiting permission to launch commercial services.

Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi responded: “Welcome to India, Elon. Wait till you discover the other guy,” in an apparent reference to industrialist Gautam Adani.

A day later, on October 9, referring to Ambani as the Prime Minister of India, he sarcastically wrote: “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 said that satellite internet could connect communities without reliable access, giving children more opportunities for education and small businesses a way to reach global markets. 

Refuting the allegations made by Elon Musk, Telecom Minister Jyotiraditya ​Scindia said in a media briefing that India does not have a monopoly in any sector.

Meanwhile, some  social media accounts have accused Musk of applying a double standard, pointing to the limited access Chinese electric-vehicle maker BYD has to the US market while Musk leads Tesla.