Reliance Industries says it welcomes Starlink’s entry into India but insists every satellite operator must meet the same legal and regulatory requirements as the company’s own delayed service.
Reliance Industries has pushed back against Elon Musk’s attacks over the slow arrival of Starlink in India, saying it welcomes rivalry and has no objection to satellite internet entering the market, provided all operators meet Indian legal and regulatory requirements. In a statement reported on Friday, the company said India remains open to investment and innovation from domestic and foreign firms, but stressed that every business must comply with the same rules. It also said its own satellite internet plans are still awaiting approvals.
The company cast the row as part of a wider debate about competition in Indian telecoms, pointing to Jio’s launch in 2016 and its subsequent rise to more than 530 million users. Reliance said that experience showed it had never been afraid of market contest and described customer service, rather than political influence, as the real test. The group added that it would welcome Starlink, while making clear that Jio and any other operator should be treated under the same framework.
Musk, meanwhile, has escalated his criticism of Mukesh Ambani in a series of online posts, accusing unnamed business interests of trying to keep Starlink out of India. TechCrunch reported that he suggested Ambani was protecting a dominant position in the market, while other posts amplified his claims that underserved communities were missing out on better connectivity. The Indian government has rejected the suggestion of discrimination, saying all three satellite communication licence holders are at a similar regulatory stage and that allegations of bias are baseless. Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia has also said India does not permit monopoly power in any sector.
The dispute comes as Starlink still awaits the final clearances needed to begin commercial service in India, including security approval, spectrum allocation and foreign direct investment clearance. The company already has a telecoms licence and permission from the space regulator, but the process has moved slowly amid security concerns and prior restrictions on taking pre-orders. Reuters has previously reported that the spectrum charge approved by the Digital Communications Commission is still awaiting Cabinet approval, underscoring how the launch remains tied to a broader regulatory process rather than a single corporate rivalry.
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