Elon Musk has publicly questioned the influence of Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani as SpaceX faces delays in launching its Starlink satellite internet service in India. Musk alleged that unnamed oligarchs are blocking the company's entry to maintain a monopoly, though he provided no evidence for these claims.
The Indian Ministry of Communications rejected Musk's accusations of discrimination, stating that its regulatory framework is fair. The ministry confirmed that Starlink and two other licensed satellite operators are currently undergoing identical security assessments, which are required before they can be granted access to spectrum.
Starlink has been attempting to enter the Indian market since 2021. The company previously refunded equipment preorders in 2022 after the government noted it was soliciting business without the necessary licenses. Currently, Starlink reports having over 20 gateway sites and hundreds of antennas installed in the country.
Regulatory debates have centered on spectrum allocation, with Starlink advocating for administrative assignment and local competitors like Reliance Jio pushing for auctions. India ultimately decided to proceed with the administrative allocation model. Meanwhile, major local operators Jio and Airtel are developing their own satellite services.
