Elon Musk asks if Mukesh Ambani is India’s ‘Real Boss’
Elon Musk is actively trying to bring high-speed, affordable internet to the people of India. However, the delay in Starlink’s commercial launch in India is driven by ongoing regulatory and security assessments by the Indian government. In a sharp remark on X, Musk questioned whether Mukesh Ambani is the “real boss of India”.
He previously accused unnamed ‘oligarchs’ of blocking Starlink’s entry into India. This was in response to a tweet indicating that over 11,000 Indian villages lack 4G/mobile coverage. He said that the oligarchs were committing a crime against the people of India.
Further, he also debunked a rumor that Starlink terminals were recovered by security forces near the Myanmar border. He clarified that Starlink signals are turned off all over India. Therefore, Starlink is strictly complying with local sovereign airspace regulations.
Musk further emphasized that Starlink had spent five years adapting to and complying with every security requirement laid down by the Indian government. This included building 20 gateway sites within India and ensuring that the data remains within the country. He said delaying Starlink’s launch is detrimental to rural and underserved communities that lack access to a stable internet connection. His recent tweets demonstrate his commitment to bridging the digital divide for Indian citizens.
Musk claims that Mukesh Ambani is blocking Starlink to maintain his own monopolistic control over the market. Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Jio and Sunil Mittal’s Bharti Airtel collectively control approximately 74% of the Indian telecom market. Approximately 40% of all wireless subscribers in India use Jio. Since Vodafone Idea is struggling and state-owned BSNL operates on the sidelines, Ambani’s network holds a dominant market position. It controls consumer pricing, digital infrastructure and upcoming technology rollouts.
The Ministry of Communications, in a statement, said that the allegations of favoritism are baseless and misconceived. Three satellite communication firms, including Starlink, Eutelsat OneWeb, and Jio’s satellite arm are currently at the same regulatory stage. The Ministry holds that all three are undergoing stringent national security evaluations concerning network control and data tracking.
During the IMC Conference, journalists asked Mukesh Ambani’s son, Reliance Jio chairman Akash Ambani about Musk’s remarks. Akash dodged the question, eventually saying that Jio would not comment on this situation.
