Starlink, led by Elon Musk, has announced that it has developed its own infrastructure in India, having obtained all necessary permissions from the government. This statement comes as Reliance Industries welcomed competition in satellite communication but emphasized that all operators must comply with Indian law.
On Friday, Starlink stated that it has collaborated with regulators, the industry, and operators in India for over five years, building a specialized network of systems, gateways, and other infrastructure within the country exclusively for the secure and reliable servicing of Indian traffic, all while obtaining the relevant government approvals. The company also confirmed its readiness to provide high-speed internet in India.
This exchange occurred amid public disputes regarding competition in the Indian satellite communication market, as Musk criticized the country's satellite landscape and questioned the competitive environment. Reliance stated that it views a competitive market as a true test of who serves customers best, insisting that any company operating in India must adhere to the law.
In its statement, the company noted: 'At Reliance, we have never feared competition. We see it as a real test of who serves the customer best.' Reliance also cited the success of Jio, which entered the saturated Indian telecom market in 2016 without a single customer, yet gained the trust of over 530 million users in ten years by offering some of the best digital infrastructures and most affordable data in the world.
Reliance's statement read: 'We welcome competition in satellite communications, including Starlink. Every player, including Jio, must serve the people of India and abide by the country's laws and policies.' The company stressed that India's openness to investment and innovation, whether domestic or international, is based on the rule of law. Reliance added that, like any Indian enterprise, it has grown in India, which supports investments and innovations that improve people's lives, and this openness is founded on the rule of law. The company also mentioned that Jio's satellite services are awaiting approvals.
Government sources, responding to the contradictions surrounding Starlink and Musk's statements, clearly indicated that any company operating in India is obligated to comply with local legislation. The center stated that its position has been consistent throughout the period.
Recently, at the Bloomberg New Economy Forum 2026, Bharti Airtel Chairman Sunil Mittal stated that his satellite venture, Eutelsat OneWeb, significantly outpaces Elon Musk's Starlink in the queue for service launches in India. His remarks added a new twist to the public debate about regulatory approvals and competition in the country's satellite internet market.
Mittal said: 'I think I am significantly ahead of him in the queue. I applied five years ago. We do not have permission, so we would be very happy to get it even a few days before him.' He clarified that OneWeb's ground network has been ready for three years, and satellites have been over India for five years, but the company is still awaiting permission to commence commercial operations.
The pushback from Mittal and now Reliance followed after Musk, the world's richest man, accused influential business circles of blocking Starlink's entry into the Indian market. In a series of posts on the social media platform X, Musk mocked Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani, sarcastically calling him 'Ambani Prime Minister' and questioning whether he holds more influence over India's decisions than Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Musk claimed that certain business groups seek to maintain 'monopolistic control' over Indian consumers. However, the Ministry of Communications rejected this accusation, calling allegations of unfairness or discriminatory regulatory frameworks 'unfounded and erroneous.' The government stated that satellite operators must meet the same regulatory requirements, including safety conditions and spectrum allocation rules, before they can begin commercial operations.
Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia stated that three enterprises—Musk's Starlink, Jio Satcom Reliance, and Eutelsat OneWeb supported by Bharti—have received satellite communication licenses. Amazon's Project Kuiper expressed interest but must follow the established procedure. Scindia emphasized that spectrum will be allocated after the government finally determines a revenue-based pricing system and individual operators meet safety requirements. He also noted that the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) and the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) are close to deciding on satellite spectrum pricing.
The difference between a license and operational approval is central to the dispute: obtaining a license does not automatically grant a company the right to start commercial services. Spectrum allocation and meeting safety conditions remain key stages.
This dispute occurs at a crucial time for Reliance, which is preparing for the Initial Public Offering (IPO) of its Jio Platforms digital services business. Jio set a price range of 1,065 to 1,119 rupees per share for the offering of up to 270 million new shares, representing about 3 percent of existing capital, excluding a block sale component. At the upper limit, this would raise approximately 30,213 crore rupees, surpassing the sale of Hyundai Motor India shares worth 27,870 crore rupees in October 2024, which was the largest in the country. The price implies a market valuation of about 10.3 lakh crore rupees, less than the approximately 11 lakh crore rupees the company previously stated it desired.
Bidding will run from October 21 to 23, with anchor investors participating on October 19. Shares are expected to begin trading on October 28. Reliance is also advancing its satellite ambitions, including a proposed constellation of approximately 1,600 low-Earth orbit satellites aimed at expanding internet connectivity to 600,000 villages. This places Jio in more direct competition with Starlink, which aims to access a massive market where broadband satellite internet can serve remote communities and areas poorly covered by terrestrial networks. Notably, last year, Reliance and SpaceX signed an agreement to explore ways of providing Starlink services to Indian customers through Jio's retail network.
