Elon Musk and Mukesh Ambani’s feud over Starlink | Explained

Elon Musk, the owner of SpaceX, recently took issue with India's billionaire, Mukesh Ambani, accusing him of being the de facto leader of India and preventing the deployment of Starlink satellite internet services. In a tweet on October 9, Musk addressed Mukesh Ambani as "Prime Minister Ambani," expressing remorse for not realizing Ambani's real power and requesting permission to allow Starlink to compete in the market.

Musk claimed that Starlink would improve internet connectivity across India and aid during natural disasters. However, critics accused Musk of undermining Prime Minister Narendra Modi and suggesting India's government is under Ambani's control. The price of Starlink's service is substantially higher than that offered by Indian internet service providers.

Despite SpaceX's GMPCS authorisation from the Department of Telecommunications, security clearances are still pending. The timing of Musk's accusations is significant as Jio Platforms prepares for an IPO, which may necessitate a stable regulatory environment. While Musk claims that Starlink is not operational in India and that illegal use is not possible, the Indian government denies allowing monopolies in any sector.

Starlink remains available for download in India, with a starting price of $55 per month for 100Mbps and unlimited data.