17 October,2026 11:16 AM IST | New Delhi | mid-day online correspondent
Elon Musk. File pic
Elon-Musk owned satellite communication venture Starlink on Friday said it has worked with Indian regulators, industry and operators for over five years and built dedicated infrastructure "all with the requisite government approvals", in a reply Reliance Industries' statement that it welcomed competition in satellite communications, including from Starlink, but all players must comply with Indian laws.
"We have worked closely with regulators, industry and operators in India for 5+ years, and built a network of dedicated systems, gateways, and other infrastructure all in-country to exclusively serve Indian traffic safely and securely - and all with the requisite government approvals," Starlink said in post on X while tagging Reliance Industries' statement on the social media platform.
It further said Starlink is ready to connect India with high-speed internet.
Meanwhile, Musk replied to Reliance Industries's statement on X, saying "Much appreciated", according to news agency IANS.
The latest post comes amid Musk criticising the India's satellite communications landscape and raising questions about the competitive environment. He had targeted Reliance Industries and Mukesh Ambani over the delay in rolling out Starlink services in India.
Reacting to the series of allegations by Musk, Reliance Industries on Friday had said it was placing the facts on record.
"At Reliance, we have never feared competition. We see it as the truest test of who serves the customer best," it said.
While pointing out to its own entry in the crowded telecom market with Jio, it had said, "We welcome competition in satellite communications, including Starlink. Every player, Jio included, must serve the people of India and abide by the laws and policies of the land."
"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," it said.
"That openness rests on the rule of law. As the Government of India has stated, it applies the same process to every applicant, Indian or foreign. Jio's own satellite services await clearances," it added.
Musk's allegations
In a series of posts on social media platform X recently, Musk took a dig at Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani.
He had questioned whether Amani had a greater influence over India's decisions and had said, "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?"
"Dear Prime Minister Ambani, Please accept my humble apologies for not realizing that you are the real boss of India," Musk posted. "Naturally, you would prefer to maintain your monopolistic exploitation of the great people of India, but would you nonetheless consider allowing Starlink to compete?" he had said in a post on X.
Earlier last week, the SpaceX founder and CEO Musk, without mentioning any company, had alleged that "certain oligarchs" have blocked Starlink in India to maintain their monopoly.
"Unfortunately, we are being blocked by certain oligarchs in order to maintain their monopolistic chokehold on the Indian people.
"You can guess who they are... This is a crime against the people of India!" Musk had posted on his social media platform X.
The Ministry of Communications had said that any suggestion that the framework or its application was unfair or discriminatory "baseless and misconceived."
It had said all telecom operators providing satellite communication services are required to meet the same licensing and security conditions before they can proceed to the spectrum assignment stage.
Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia had said India doesn't allow monopoly in any sector, including satellite communication.
"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," he had said.
Scindia said that three entities that include Musk's Starlink, Reliance Jio's satellite venture Jio Satcom and Bharti-backed Eutelsat OneWeb, have already secured licences. Amazon's Project Kuiper has expressed interest and will need to undergo the established procedure, he had added.
"We are very clear on our stand. There are three parties that have got a licence; as and when the government decides the charge system on the revenue basis, that spectrum will be assigned to them, and as and when they individually fulfil the security conditions, they can start operations," Scindia had said.
He had also informed that the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) and the telecom department are close to a final decision on pricing regime for satcom spectrum.
(With inputs from IANS)
