‘Is Ambani the real boss of India’, asks Elon Musk as Center refutes bias in Starlink authorization
Elon Musk doubled down on his criticism, amplifying several posts supporting the launch of Starlink in India. | Photo credit: Reuters
The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) on Thursday (Oct 8, 2026) rejected allegations that it is shielding oligarchs from competition by delaying approval of SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet service in India.
But billionaire Elon Musk doubled down on his criticism on Thursday (Oct 8, 2026) and stepped up several posts supporting the launch of Starlink in India, as well as questioning industrialist Mukesh Ambani, asking if he is the “real boss” of India.
“Starlink will be a big help in areas of India that have poor or no internet and even no mobile coverage,” Musk said. “No country has perfect coverage, including America, but Starlink can fill the gaps in coverage for those who need it most.” In a subsequent post, Mr Musk named Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani and asked him if he was the “real boss of India”.
Starlink is licensed in over 165 countries and has spent five years complying with every single law and Indian government requirement, so why still no license? Is Ambani the real boss of India?
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 8, 2026
“Starlink is licensed in over 165 countries and has spent five years complying with every single law and requirement of the Indian government, so why still no license,” he asked.
The DoT statement came in response to Mr Musk’s accusation on Wednesday (Oct 8, 2026) that “certain oligarchs” were blocking the launch of Starlink in India. The other two companies that have secured satellite internet authorizations from the DoT are Bharti-backed OneWeb and Reliance Industries Ltd’s satellite internet arm.
However, the Ministry of Transport said that security assessments for both operators are “currently ongoing”, stressing that the regulatory framework applies uniformly to all satellite communications providers.
“A post is circulating on social media regarding the fairness of India’s regulatory framework for satellite communications services and suggests that it is being applied in a discriminatory manner,” the transport ministry said. “The suggestion that the framework or its application is unfair or discriminatory is unfounded and wrong.”
Speaking at Mobile Congress India on Wednesday (7 October 2026), SpaceX CEO Lauren Dreyer said she hoped Starlink would be approved to begin operations in India by this time next year. She also said that the company has already set up 20 facilities in India to process Indian users’ data locally.
The DoT said all satellite communications licensees are required to demonstrate compliance with specified security conditions before services can be introduced.
“According to the conditions of the license (sic), every such licensee is required to demonstrate compliance with the safety conditions,” the ministry said. “This is aimed at ensuring that the services provided meet various security requirements to ensure the safety of all users and their data.”
It’s not the first time Musk has criticized the government on X, formerly Twitter, after Starlink faced delays in getting regulatory approval.
In January, Musk accused the South African government of racism over its Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment policy, which requires at least 30% ownership of foreign telecommunications licensees to be held by historically disadvantaged groups.
“Starlink is not allowed to have an ISP license in South Africa for the sole reason that I am not black,” Mr Musk said.
Akash Ambani declines to comment; Rahul Gandhi joins the debate
Reliance Jio chairman Akash Ambani declined to comment on Mr Musk’s remarks when asked at the Indian Mobile Congress on Thursday (Oct 8, 2026).
Welcome to India, Elon. Wait until you discover the other.
—Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) October 8, 2026
Meanwhile, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi joined the conversation on X and said: “Welcome to India, Elon. Wait till you discover the other one.” Mr Musk responded by thanking Mr Gandhi saying, “This is truly disturbing”.
Thank you Rahul. This is truly disturbing.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 8, 2026
Published – 8 Oct 2026 19:15 IST