{
  "id": 14124739,
  "title": "Elon Musk and Mukesh Ambani’s feud over Starlink | Explained",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/13/elon-musk-and-mukesh-ambanis-feud-over-starlink-explained-14124739",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-10-13T05:05:56.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Hindu - Sci-Tech",
    "slug": "the-hindu-sci-tech",
    "url": "https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/technology/elon-musk-and-mukesh-ambanis-feud-over-starlink-explained/article71577979.ece"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Elon Musk, the owner of SpaceX, has been engaging in a public feud with India’s billionaire Mukesh Ambani over Starlink, a satellite internet service. Musk accused Ambani, the chairman and managing director of Reliance Industries, of being the \"real boss\" of India and preventing Starlink from entering the Indian market to favor Jio. On October 9, Musk tweeted a mockingly subservient message to \"Prime Minister Ambani,\" apologizing for not realizing Ambani's dominance and asking for permission to allow Starlink to compete in the market. Musk claimed that Starlink would help bridge internet connectivity gaps across the country and aid in life-saving during natural disasters.\n\nCritics of Musk were outraged by what they perceived as undermining Prime Minister Narendra Modi and suggesting India's government is under Ambani's influence. Others pointed out that Starlink's service cost significantly more than India-based internet service providers. Musk then stated that competition would benefit Indian customers by offering more choices, and prices would be adjusted accordingly. He also mentioned that Ambani's profits would be lower, but he wouldn't go out of business, and SpaceX would need to make pricing affordable if Starlink is too expensive in India.\n\nMusk claimed that Starlink has not been licensed in India despite spending five years complying with government laws and requirements. In March 2025, SpaceX announced a partnership with Jio Platforms to offer Starlink broadband internet service in India, pending separate authorizations. This agreement is crucial as Jio Platforms is preparing for an IPO, which typically requires a stable regulatory environment and positive media coverage. Musk's online spat with Ambani and the Indian government could escalate tensions, especially with Trump's past threats of penalties against countries slowing the foreign operations of U.S. tech giants.\n\nThe Indian government denied allowing monopolies in any sector and stated that Starlink beams are turned off over India, and illegal use is not possible. Starlink has been used to access the internet during times of war and civil unrest, such as in Ukraine and Iran. The Indian government aims to ensure that all telecom companies comply with its internet blackouts, making Musk's accusation potentially problematic for the situation.",
  "summary": "Elon Musk believes that India’s mobile internet market is skewed to favour the Ambani family and that his Starlink service deserves a fair chance in the country. However, critics have pointed to sovereignty and security concerns",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 8,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Business Insider",
        "title": "Elon Musk picked his newest fight, butting heads with India over its failure to greenlight Starlink",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/08/elon-musk-picked-his-newest-fight-butting-heads-with-india-over-its",
        "published": "2026-10-08T13:56:07.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Economic Times",
        "title": "Musk asks why Starlink lacks India licence",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/08/musk-asks-why-starlink-lacks-india-licence",
        "published": "2026-10-08T14:25:39.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Semafor",
        "title": "Musk accuses Indian 'oligarchs' of blocking Starlink access",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/08/musk-accuses-indian-oligarchs-of-blocking-starlink-access",
        "published": "2026-10-08T23:03:07.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Business Standard IN",
        "title": "Musk slams Ambani supporters for 'hypocrisy' over Starlink's entry in India",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/11/musk-slams-ambani-supporters-for-hypocrisy-over-starlinks-entry-in",
        "published": "2026-10-11T02:26:33.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "CNBC Technology",
        "title": "Elon Musk gives $276 million to Republican groups, becomes biggest known 2026 midterm donor",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/12/elon-musk-gives-276-million-to-republican-groups-becomes-biggest",
        "published": "2026-10-12T21:17:58.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Hindustan Times - World News",
        "title": "Bernie Sanders flips the charge on Elon Musk after his rant on ‘oligarchs’ over Starlink services in India",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/13/bernie-sanders-flips-the-charge-on-elon-musk-after-his-rant-on",
        "published": "2026-10-13T03:01:46.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Hindu",
        "title": "Elon Musk and Mukesh Ambani’s feud over Starlink | Explained",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/13/elon-musk-and-mukesh-ambanis-feud-over-starlink-explained",
        "published": "2026-10-13T05:05:56.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}