India rejects monopoly claim after Musk accuses Ambani of blocking Starlink launch

India's telecom minister, Jyotiraditya Scindia, firmly rejected allegations of monopolies in the sector, responding to Elon Musk's claim that billionaire Mukesh Ambani was politically blocking Starlink's launch in India. Speaking at a media briefing, Scindia emphasized that India does not permit monopolies in any sector.

Musk's SpaceX unit is now seeking entry into the Indian telecom market, which is already dominated by the mobile networks of Ambani's Reliance Jio and Sunil Mittal's Bharti Airtel. Musk questioned why Starlink still lacked a license despite their compliance with Indian requirements, posing the question, "Is Ambani the real boss of India?" without providing any evidence.

Reliance Jio, owned by Ambani, did not comment on Musk's allegations. The four-year wait for Starlink's satellite internet services in India has sparked heated debates online about business influence and regulatory delays. Musk directed his criticism towards Ambani and the political opposition joined the controversy.

Although Starlink has already obtained a license to operate in India, it still needs to meet security compliance conditions and receive a spectrum assignment before launching its commercial services. The government clarified on Thursday that all three licensed satellite operators, including Starlink, were at a similar regulatory stage, calling allegations of unfair or discriminatory processes "baseless and misconceived."