India rejects Musk’s monopoly claim over Starlink launch

India’s telecom minister said on Friday the country does not allow monopolies in any sector, pushing ​back after Elon Musk suggested billionaire Mukesh Ambani was ‌using political influence to block Starlink’s launch in the country.

“India does not allow a monopoly in any sector,” telecom minister Jyotiraditya ​ Scindia said at a media briefing on Friday, addressing ​Musk’s remarks.

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Musk’s SpaceX unit is seeking entry into a telecom market with more than a billion internet users, currently dominated by the mobile networks of Ambani’s Reliance Jio and Sunil Mittal’s Bharti Airtel.

“Is Ambani the real boss of India?”, Musk wrote on X on Thursday, questioning why Starlink still lacked ​a license despite what he said were years of ​compliance with Indian requirements. He provided no evidence against Ambani.

Ambani’s Reliance ‌Jio did not respond to a request for comments on Musk’s remarks.

A four-year wait to launch Starlink’s satellite internet services in India has sparked heated exchanges online over business influence ​and regulatory delays, ​with Musk targeting Ambani and the political opposition joining the row.

While Starlink has already secured a licence to operate in India, a commercial launch still requires it to meet security compliance conditions and receive a spectrum assignment.

The government said on Thursday that all three licensed satellite operators, including Starlink, were at broadly ​the same regulatory stage, calling suggestions of an unfair or discriminatory process “baseless and ​misconceived”.