'Is Ambani the real boss of India?': Elon Musk doubles down as govt rejects 'blocked entry' of Starlink charges
Amid the ongoing controversy over Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite communication services in India, Musk on Thursday questioned whether Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani is the “real boss” of the country. In a post on X, Musk said, “Starlink is licensed in over 165 countries and has spent five years complying with every single law and requirement of the government of India, so why still no license?” He then asked, “Is Ambani the real boss of India?”
Amid the ongoing controversy over Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite communication services in India, Musk on Thursday questioned whether Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani is the “real boss” of the country.
In a post on X, Musk said, “Starlink is licensed in over 165 countries and has spent five years complying with every single law and requirement of the government of India, so why still no license?”
He then asked, “Is Ambani the real boss of India?”
Starlink is licensed in over 165 countries and has spent five years complying with every single law and requirement of the government of India, so why still no license?
Is Ambani the real boss of India? https://t.co/KUSgfJRynZ
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 8, 2026
Musk’s remarks came a day after the Indian government rejected his allegation that Starlink’s satellite internet services were being blocked by domestic business interests. The government said all satellite communication companies were subject to the same regulatory and security requirements.
The telecom ministry said India’s authorisation framework for telecom and satellite services was “fair and non-discriminatory” and termed any suggestion that it was being applied selectively “baseless and misconceived.”
The government has granted licences to three companies — Musk’s Starlink, Reliance Jio’s satellite venture Jio Satcom and Bharti-backed Eutelsat OneWeb. However, none of them can begin commercial operations until the required security assessments and spectrum-related approvals are completed.
“Security assessment as part of this process is currently under way in respect of all three licensees,” the telecom ministry said in a statement.
On Wednesday, Musk had alleged that “certain oligarchs” had blocked his company’s satellite communication services in India to protect their monopoly in the country.
Separately, Musk on Thursday reiterated the need for Starlink services in India to connect areas with bad or no internet and even no mobile network.
Musk shared some posts from Indian accounts on X complaining about telecom services in their area.
Starlink will be of great help to areas of India that have bad or no Internet and even no mobile coverage.
No country has perfect coverage, including America, but Starlink can fill in the coverage gaps for those who most need it. https://t.co/XLQaEhazIq
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 8, 2026
"Starlink will be of great help to areas of India that have bad or no Internet and even no mobile coverage. No country has perfect coverage, including America, but Starlink can fill in the coverage gaps for those who most need it," Musk said.