Elon Musk vs. Mukesh Ambani: The Real Reason Starlink Isn’t in India Yet

On October 9, 2026, billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk took to X to deliver a pointed message to Mukesh Ambani, India's second wealthiest individual and chairman of Reliance Industries. Musk's tweet, addressed to "Prime Minister Ambani," hinted at a perceived conflict of interest: Ambani's significant influence over India's regulatory landscape.

Musk's message read, "Please accept my humble apologies for not realizing that you are the real boss of India. Naturally, you would prefer to maintain your monopolistic exploitation of the great people of India, but would you nonetheless consider allowing Starlink to compete?" This statement marked a week of growing frustration from Musk about Starlink's inability to provide commercial satellite internet services in India, despite holding a valid license for over a year.

The underlying cause for this delay is not a personal vendetta against Ambani, but rather a complex web of regulatory hurdles. Starlink, owned by Musk's company SpaceX, applied for a Global Mobile Personal Communication by Satellite (GMPCS) license from India's Department of Telecommunications on June 6, 2025. The Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre subsequently granted Starlink permission for its broadband services.

In September 2025, Starlink had received provisional spectrum for trials and began testing related to security. The company had also established 20 gateway sites across India, complete with hundreds of antennas, and implemented stringent security measures to safeguard Indian user data.

However, the roadblock lies in a national security review. Reports surfaced in June 2026 that India had placed a freeze on final approvals for Starlink due to security concerns about potential misuse during the Iran conflict. Starlink terminals were allegedly used in Iran despite the lack of a license, raising questions about the company's capability to prevent unauthorized use in conflict zones.

These security concerns prompted the Indian Army to recover a Starlink device alongside weapons during operations in Manipur, intensifying the nation's vigilance.

Despite the Ministry of Communications confirming that the Department of Telecom had issued licenses to all satellite communication companies and provisioned spectrum, the bottleneck now rests with the Ministry of Home Affairs for security clearance. The final spectrum assignment, which is yet to be decided, remains a crucial step before Starlink can commence commercial operations.

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India and the Department of Telecommunications are currently deliberating on the spectrum pricing framework, with indications that a usage charge of around 5% of adjusted gross revenue, with five-year spectrum allocation and an option for extension, might be finalized soon.