Elon Musk Questions Starlink Approval Delay, Asks If Mukesh Ambani Is ‘Real Boss of India’
New Delhi, 9th October 2026: SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has questioned the delay in granting final regulatory clearances for Starlink’s satellite internet services in India, asking whether Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani is the “real boss of India”.
The remarks came after Musk alleged that powerful business interests were obstructing Starlink’s entry into the Indian market to protect their dominance. In a post on X, he said the company was licensed in more than 165 countries and had spent five years complying with Indian government requirements, questioning why it was still unable to begin commercial operations.
The Ministry of Communications rejected allegations of bias, calling suggestions that India’s regulatory framework was unfair or discriminatory “baseless and misconceived”. It said three satellite communication providers, Starlink, Reliance Jio’s satellite venture Jio Satcom, and Bharti-backed Eutelsat OneWeb, had received licences but were still undergoing security assessments. Commercial services also require spectrum-related approvals.
On Friday, Union Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said India did not permit monopolies in any sector. The government maintained that the approval process applied to all three operators and that security clearances were still pending.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also responded to Musk’s post, writing, “Welcome to India, Elon. Wait till you discover the other guy.” Musk replied, “Thank you, Rahul. This is indeed troubling.” Gandhi did not identify the person he was referring to.
The dispute comes as Starlink seeks to enter India’s large telecom market, where Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel are major players. While the company has obtained an initial licence, it cannot begin commercial services until the remaining regulatory requirements are met.
