Oct 16,2026: Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Industries on Friday responded to Elon Musk’s recent remarks about the Indian market and its role in Starlink’s entry into the country, saying it has never feared competition and that every player must abide by Indian laws and policies.
In a statement, Reliance said it welcomed competition in satellite communications, including from Starlink.
It also said all companies, Indian or foreign, must follow the same regulatory process, pointing out that Jio’s satellite services were also awaiting clearances.
The response follows Musk’s remarks accusing the Indian government of favouring established telecom operators over competing players.
The dispute resurfaced after Lauren Dreyer, SpaceX’s vice-president of Starlink Business Operations, told attendees at the India Mobile Congress (IMC) 2026 that the company was ready to begin operations in India but was waiting for regulatory approvals.
“In light of recent remarks about Reliance and the Indian market, we wish to place the facts on record. Like every Indian enterprise, Reliance has grown in an India that welcomes investment and innovation, homegrown or international, that improve the lives of the people,” Reliance Industries said in a statement on Friday.
The company also defended its record on competition, highlighting Jio’s entry into the crowded Indian telecom market in 2016 without any existing customers. It said Jio had since attracted more than 530 million subscribers and helped make digital connectivity more affordable.
“At Reliance, we have never feared competition. We see it as the truest test of who serves the customer best. Jio itself entered India’s crowded telecom market in 2016 as the newest player, with not a single customer. In just ten years, Jio has earned the trust of over 530 million customers and given Indians some of the best digital infrastructure and most affordable data in the world,” the company stated.
Musk first alleged on his social media platform, X, that Starlink was being blocked by certain “oligarchs” keen to keep a “monopolistic chokehold” on Indians.
India’s ministry of communications hit back the next day, calling any suggestion that the framework or its application was unfair or discriminatory “baseless and misconceived” and that the security assessment of the three entities was underway, with all at “broadly the same regulatory stage”.
On October 8, the communications ministry rejected the charge, calling suggestions of discrimination “baseless and misconceived.” It said India’s satcom framework was fair and non-discriminatory,
Hours later, Musk escalated his attack, saying Starlink was licensed to operate in more than 165 countries and had spent five years complying with Indian rules. “So why still no licence? Is Ambani the real boss of India?” he asked, referring to Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani.
Ahead of Musk in queue: Sunil Mittal
Bharti Airtel chairman Sunil Bharti Mittal on October 14 said his satcom venture Eutelsat OneWeb is significantly ahead of Musk’s Starlink in the satcom queue in India, with the licence applied five years ago, and added that he would be happy to receive the go-ahead at least a few days before the US tech billionaire.
“I think I am significantly ahead in the queue from him. I applied five years back,” Mittal said at the Bloomberg New Economy Forum 2026.
