NEW DELHI, Oct. 16 -- Reliance Industries on Friday broke its silence over Elon Musk's allegations that vested interests were obstructing Starlink's entry into India's satellite communications market, asserting that it had "never feared competition" and welcoming the American company's participation while emphasising that every operator must comply with Indian laws.
The Mukesh Ambani-led conglomerate said India's regulatory framework applied equally to domestic and foreign companies and pointed out that Reliance Jio's own satellite communication services were also awaiting necessary clearances. The statement came after Musk, the chief executive of SpaceX and Tesla, repeatedly accused Reliance of attempting to protect its position in India's telecommunications market by allegedly influencing the regulatory process governing Starlink's commercial launch. Without directly naming Musk, Reliance said it was responding to recent remarks concerning the company and the Indian market to clarify its position.
"In light of recent remarks about Reliance and the Indian market, we wish to place the facts on record," the company said in a statement posted on X. Reliance maintained that India had consistently welcomed domestic and international investment and innovation, provided companies operated within the country's legal framework. Responding to allegations that it was opposed to competition from satellite internet providers, Reliance said its business had grown by competing with established players. "At Reliance, we have never feared competition. We see it as the truest test of who serves the customer best," the company said.
It cited Jio's entry into India's telecommunications market in 2016, when the company began operations without an existing subscriber base. Reliance said Jio had since expanded to more than 530 million customers, becoming India's largest mobile operator. The conglomerate argued that competition had helped expand digital connectivity and reduce data costs for Indian consumers. "We welcome competition in satellite communications, including Starlink," Reliance said. However, it stressed that competition must operate within the country's regulatory framework. "Every player, Jio included, must serve the people of India and abide by the laws and policies of the land," the company added. Reliance rejected suggestions that Indian companies were receiving preferential treatment in the approval process for satellite communication services.
It said the government followed the same procedures for all applicants, irrespective of whether they were Indian or foreign enterprises. "As the Government of India has stated, it applies the same process to every applicant, Indian or foreign. Jio's own satellite services await clearances," the statement said. The company maintained that India's openness to investment and technological innovation was based on adherence to the rule of law. The clarification assumes significance because Musk has repeatedly questioned why Starlink has not received the final approvals required to begin commercial satellite broadband operations in India. Starlink, operated by SpaceX, uses a constellation of low-Earth-orbit satellites to provide internet connectivity, particularly in areas where conventional broadband infrastructure is limited or unavailable.
India represents a potentially significant market for satellite internet services because of its large population and connectivity requirements in remote and underserved regions. The dispute intensified after Musk publicly accused Reliance of attempting to prevent Starlink from competing in India's telecommunications market. In a series of posts on X, Musk questioned the arguments advanced by those defending the existing market structure.
He alleged that supporters of Reliance were simultaneously claiming that Starlink could not compete with Jio's low prices while expressing concern that it might become a formidable competitor. Musk described those arguments as contradictory and maintained that additional competition would benefit Indian consumers by providing more choices. "The reality is that competition would greatly benefit the average citizen in India by giving them more choices, as it always does," he wrote. He also claimed that increased competition might reduce Reliance's profits without threatening the company's survival.
Earlier, Musk had questioned why Starlink was still awaiting permission to launch commercial services despite, according to him, spending five years complying with Indian laws and regulatory requirements. "Is Ambani the real boss of India?" Musk asked in one of his posts. In another sharply worded message, he sarcastically addressed the Reliance chairman as "Prime Minister Ambani" while accusing the conglomerate of seeking to preserve its market position. The allegations have not been substantiated by publicly established evidence of regulatory interference by Reliance.
The Union government has also rejected suggestions that India's satellite communications approval process is designed to protect any particular company. Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said there was no question of allowing a monopoly in the satellite communications sector. He maintained that three companies were at different stages of obtaining the final approvals required for commercial operations. The minister said satellite communication operators must fulfil prescribed security requirements before beginning services. He also indicated that India was nearing a decision on the pricing framework for satellite communication services, another important element in the sector's commercial rollout. The government has maintained that regulatory requirements are intended to ensure national security, fair competition and compliance with Indian telecommunications laws. Its position is that companies seeking to operate satellite communication networks must meet the applicable conditions regardless of their ownership or country of origin.
The exchange between Musk and Reliance comes as India prepares for the wider commercial deployment of satellite-based broadband services. Unlike conventional mobile networks, satellite internet can provide connectivity to geographically isolated areas without requiring extensive terrestrial infrastructure. The technology is expected to play a role in extending internet access to remote villages, mountainous regions and locations where laying fibre-optic cables is difficult or expensive. However, satellite communication services also involve regulatory considerations relating to spectrum allocation, security compliance and operational authorisations. Starlink's entry into the Indian market has therefore become the subject of a wider debate over competition, licensing and the treatment of foreign technology companies.
Reliance's statement marks its first public response to Musk's recent criticism and makes clear that the conglomerate is not opposing Starlink's participation in the market. At the same time, it has sought to draw a distinction between welcoming competition and granting exemptions from regulatory requirements. With both Starlink and domestic operators awaiting the completion of necessary formalities, the focus remains on the government's decisions concerning final approvals, security compliance and commercial operations.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.