‘Why no licence?’ Elon Musk asks if Ambani is ‘real boss of India’ over Starlink delay

SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk has questioned the delay in granting final approvals for his satellite internet service Starlink to begin commercial operations in India asking whether Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani is the ldquoreal boss of IndiardquoMusk claimed that Starlink had spent five years complying with Indian laws and regulatory requirements but was still awaiting the necessary clearances to launch its servicesThe remarks came hours after the government rejected his allegations that powerful business interests were obstructing Starlinks entry into the Indian market to protect their position in the telecom sectorMusk questions delay in Starlinks India launchIn a post on X Musk said ldquoStarlink 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 licenserdquoStarlink 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 Indiamdash Elon Musk elonmusk October 8 2026He followed it with the question ldquoIs Ambani the real boss of IndiardquoMusk had earlier accused unnamed ldquooligarchsrdquo of attempting to block Starlinks entry into the country to maintain their market dominance He did not initially name any individual or company in those allegationsThe comments have brought renewed attention to competition in Indias satellite communications market where Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtelbacked Eutelsat OneWeb are also pursuing satellitebased servicesGovernment rejects allegations of discriminationThe government pushed back against Musks claims maintaining that compliance with security requirements is mandatory for all satellite communications service providersThe Ministry of Communications described suggestions that Indias regulatory framework was being applied unfairly or selectively as ldquobaseless and misconceivedrdquo It said the approval process was being followed uniformly for licensed operatorsStarlink has secured a licence to provide satellite communications services in India However it still needs to complete security assessments and obtain the necessary approvals including those related to spectrum before launching commercial operationsSecurity clearance remains pendingMinister of State for Communications Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani said the Department of Telecommunications had issued licences to satellite communications companies and provided provisional spectrum for testing while security clearance remained pending with the Ministry of Home Affairs MHAThe Department of Telecom has issued licences to all satcom companies as well as provisional spectrum Now the issue is pending with MHA for security clearance As soon as it is cleared they will get it It has nothing to do with one company Pemmasani told reporters on the sidelines of the India Mobile CongressBharti Airtel chairman Sunil Bharti Mittal has also said his satellite communications venture is awaiting regulatory approvalsRahul Gandhi joins exchange with MuskThe controversy also drew a response from Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi who replied to Musk on XldquoWelcome to India Elon Wait till you discover the other guyrdquo Gandhi wroteMusk responded ldquoThank you Rahul This is indeed troublingrdquo