Musk vows affordable Starlink in India days before Ambani’s record Jio IPO

Elon Musk pledged to offer SpaceX's Starlink satellite internet service at affordable prices in India to challenge Mukesh Ambani's low-cost Reliance Jio, intensifying his criticism of the rival billionaire just before Jio's parent company launches the country's most significant IPO. Jio Platforms, which operates the telecom arm, aims to raise its valuation to $106 billion during the offering.

Similar to SpaceX's Starlink, Jio's satellite venture is also awaiting final security clearance to launch. Musk's strategy of providing cheap data has helped Jio succeed in India, and Musk has employed the same approach in markets like Kenya to disrupt local telecom firms. SpaceX is now set to enter the mobile carrier market, beginning in the US.

Musk did not disclose India-specific prices, noting that mobile data costs around 8 cents per gigabyte in the country, among the lowest globally. Musk emphasized that affordable pricing is crucial, stating, "If Starlink is too expensive in India, no one will buy it, so SpaceX will need to make pricing affordable." Competition would benefit Indian citizens by giving them more options, Musk argued.

Ambani's profits may decrease, but he is not going out of business. Musk's comments came amid a series of posts on his social media platform X, where he accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government and Ambani of delaying Starlink's entry into India to favor incumbent telecom leader Jio. Musk's tone has shifted significantly, having previously enjoyed a cordial relationship with Modi.

India's government has denied any bias in its approval process, noting that all three satellite ventures seeking to launch, including Starlink and Jio, are awaiting final security clearance. On Friday, Musk directly taunted Ambani, referring to him as "Prime Minister Ambani" and asking if he would consider permitting Starlink to compete. Reliance has not responded to requests for comment on Musk's remarks.