Reliance says it has never feared competition amid Musk’s Starlink tirade

Barely a week after Elon Musk’s tirade targeting India’s business tycoon and founder of Jio, the country’s internet giant, over allegations that he was stalling Starlink’s entry into India, Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries clarified that it had “never feared competition” from anyone, while pledging to abide by the laws of the land and hinting that clearance for its own satellite internet services was still awaited.

Without naming Musk, the conglomerate said on Friday that its remarks were in response to recent comments about Reliance and the Indian market, and insisted that the country’s regulatory framework remained open, fair and non-discriminatory.

“The ‘openness’ of the Indian market rests on the rule of law,” Reliance said, adding that the same regulatory process applied to all applicants, regardless of whether they were based in India or abroad.

The group also emphasised that Jio’s satellite communication services were awaiting clearances, and maintained that every player, including its own telecommunications arm, must comply with the country’s laws and policies.

“We welcome competition in satellite communications, including Starlink,” the company said, reiterating that it had never been apprehensive about competing with other players.

Starlink, operated by Musk’s SpaceX, provides internet connectivity through a constellation of satellites in low-Earth orbit, and its proposed Indian entry would bring it into competition with Jio Space Technology, a Reliance-backed joint venture, and Eutelsat OneWeb, supported by Sunil Mittal’s Bharti Airtel Group.

The exchange follows Musk’s October 8 accusation that “certain oligarchs” were obstructing Starlink’s entry to protect their “monopolistic chokehold” over the industry. Although he did not initially identify any Indian businessperson, he subsequently questioned whether “Ambani is the real boss” of India.

A day later, Musk sarcastically addressed the Indian Prime Minister as “Prime Minister Ambani”, while accusing the conglomerate of seeking to preserve a monopoly over Indian consumers. He argued that Starlink could extend connectivity to underserved areas, creating educational opportunities for children and helping small businesses reach global markets.

The Union government, meanwhile, defended India’s regulatory framework, describing it as fair and non-discriminatory, while stressing that all telecommunications providers, including satellite operators, must satisfy common authorisation requirements and security conditions.

Although Starlink has obtained authorisation for global mobile personal communications by satellite, it is yet to secure the security clearances necessary to commence operations in India, according to The Hindu.