Elon Musk is beefing with telecom billionaire Mukesh Ambani as Starlink’s launch in India stalls. Here's why.

Elon Musk has taken aim at telecom billionaire Mukesh Ambani, accusing him of monopolistic efforts that are hindering SpaceX's Starlink from launching in India. Starlink has been attempting to provide satellite-based internet in India for years, but regulatory approval has been delayed. Musk pointed the finger at Ambani, the chairman of Reliance Industries, which owns the country's largest mobile network, Reliance Jio, with over half a billion customers.

Starlink has been licensed in 165 countries, yet India remains a notable exception. Musk questioned whether Ambani is the actual "boss" of India, sparking further controversy. Reliance has lobbied the Indian government to use an auction for satellite spectrum allocation instead of an administrative assignment. Despite securing a key license from India's department of telecommunications earlier this year, Musk reported that a security assessment for Starlink is still ongoing.