55 mins ago
Musk Accuses Ambani Supporters of Hypocrisy Over Starlink Entry
Elon Musk wants his Starlink internet service to operate in India.
He says it would give people another choice for getting online.
Musk accused supporters of Mukesh Ambani of making conflicting claims about whether Starlink could compete.
He argued that if Starlink costs too much, people will not buy it, so the company may need to lower its prices.
He said more competition might reduce Ambani’s profits but would not put him out of business.
India’s communications minister said Starlink and two other providers have licences.
They must still meet security requirements and other milestones before starting service.
The government says its approval rules are fair and apply without favouring one company.
Elon Musk accused Mukesh Ambani’s supporters of contradicting themselves over Starlink’s potential competition in India.
Musk argued that Starlink would give Indian consumers more choices and that high prices would force the company to make its service affordable.
He said competition could reduce Ambani’s profits but would not put him out of business.
Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said three satellite-communications providers, including Starlink, have licences and may begin operating after meeting security requirements and milestones.
The government said telecom and satellite authorisation rules are fair and non-discriminatory; the telecom department and TRAI were nearing a decision on satellite-spectrum pricing.
- Who
- Elon Musk, Mukesh Ambani, and Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia.
- What
- Musk criticised Ambani supporters’ arguments about Starlink competing in India; Scindia said three providers have satcom licences, subject to requirements.
- Where
- India; Musk made his comments on X.
- When
- Musk’s latest post was on Sunday; the article was published October 11, 2026.
- Why
- The dispute concerns Starlink’s entry into India’s satellite internet market and whether it can compete with established providers.
Musk’s position
Government and licensing position
Competition and consumer choice
Musk’s position
Musk says Starlink would benefit Indians by offering another option; if its price is too high, consumers will not buy it and the company will need to make pricing affordable.
Government and licensing position
Scindia says the government provides a choice of services and companies in a free market, and that India does not permit monopolies.
Whether rules are applied selectively
Musk’s position
Musk has criticised delays to Starlink’s India launch and accused Ambani of seeking to protect a monopoly.
Government and licensing position
The government says its authorisation framework is fair and non-discriminatory, and called claims of selective application baseless and misconceived.
Key facts
- Musk’s claim
- He said Starlink would expand consumer choice and that unaffordable pricing would deter customers.
- Licensed satcom providers
- Starlink, Jio Satcom, and Eutelsat OneWeb have secured licences, according to Scindia.
- Requirements
- Providers can start operations after individually meeting security requirements and milestones.
- Amazon
- Amazon’s Project Kuiper has expressed interest and must undergo the established procedure.
- Spectrum pricing
- The telecom department and TRAI were close to a final decision on satcom spectrum pricing.
- Government position
- The government said the authorisation framework is fair and non-discriminatory.
- Political donations cited
- Musk shared a report stating that Qwik Supply donated Rs 385 crore to the BJP and Rs 25 crore to the Shiv Sena through electoral bonds.
Quotes
Jyotiraditya Scindia
India’s Communications Minister.
“Let me set the record straight. For us, the Department of Telecommunications, we are technology agnostic... Our job is to be able to provide the bouquet of services to every single customer. It is for the customer to choose in a free market which service he or she prefers, and within that service bouquet, which company’s service he or she prefers.”
thehindubusinessline.com
“On the one hand, they say Starlink couldn’t possibly compete with the amazing low prices offered by Ambani’s de facto monopoly in India and then, in the same breath, they essentially claim that Starlink would be too strong of a competitor! This is absurd hypocrisy and hyperbole.”
thehindubusinessline.com
Sources
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