Tech trillionaire and SpaceX Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk has escalated the dispute over satellite internet connectivity in India, launching a series of posts on social media platform X targeting businessman Ambani.
In a post on Friday, the Tesla and SpaceX chief sarcastically addressed Ambani as “Prime Minister Ambani” and offered his “humble apologies” for failing to realise that he was “the real boss of India”, reports NDTV.
Musk questioned whether Ambani would allow SpaceX’s satellite internet unit, Starlink, to compete in India. He accused him of preferring to maintain “monopolistic exploitation of the great people of India”.
Musk pointed out that many areas in India, as in other countries, lack internet access. He said this deprives children of educational opportunities and prevents small businesses from selling their products to global markets. He argued that Starlink could improve their lives.
In another post on Friday, Musk claimed Starlink had proved essential in saving lives during natural disasters when other communication systems failed. He argued that allowing the company to operate in India would help save men, women and children across the country.
Owned by SpaceX, Starlink is one of three Global Mobile Personal Communication by Satellite (GMPCS) services granted telecommunications licences by the Centre. The other two licensed providers are Bharti-backed Eutelsat OneWeb and Jio Satellite Communications Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Jio Platforms.
However, the companies must demonstrate compliance with security conditions before receiving spectrum allocation and beginning commercial services. The Centre has confirmed that the security assessment, which is part of the authorisation process, is currently underway.
The controversy began on Wednesday when Musk, responding to a user on X, alleged that “certain oligarchs” were blocking Starlink in India to maintain a “monopolistic chokehold on the Indian people”. He described the situation as “a crime against the people of India”.
In a statement issued on Thursday morning, the Ministry of Communications dismissed the allegation as baseless.
Responding to social media posts suggesting that India’s regulatory framework for satellite communication services was being applied discriminatorily, the ministry said the government had established a fair and non-discriminatory authorisation framework for all telecommunications services, including satellite communications.
Following the ministry’s rebuttal, Musk posted on X again on Thursday, questioning why Starlink had not yet received an operational licence in India.
He claimed that Starlink was licensed in more than 165 countries and had spent five years complying with “every single law and requirement” of the Government of India. He again asked: “Is Ambani the real boss of India?”
