Elon Musk: At India Mobile Congress 2026, Jio proposed deploying about 1,600 low Earth orbit satellites and setting up 23 ground stations across India. It pitched the plan as “Sovereign Satellite Connectivity.” In June, Mukesh Ambani had said Reliance was evaluating its own constellation while leasing capacity from international providers to start services sooner.
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Elon Musk Goes on the Attack
Musk first accused unnamed “oligarchs” of blocking Starlink to protect their businesses. He then asked on X whether Ambani is the real boss of India and mockingly called him the country’s “prime minister.” India’s Ministry of Communications rejected the allegations, calling its framework fair and non-discriminatory. It said Jio Satellite Communications, Starlink and Bharti-backed Eutelsat OneWeb are at broadly the same regulatory stage.
Jio’s Response
Jio chairman Akash Ambani said the company is making rapid progress on an indigenous satellite broadband stack. He said the focus is home broadband and that satellite will extend Jio’s existing network instead of being a standalone service. He did not engage directly with Musk’s comments.
An Awkward Partnership
The rivalry is complicated by the fact that Jio and Airtel both signed deals in 2025 to distribute Starlink once it is approved. Jio is also working with SES on satellite broadband, while Airtel backs OneWeb. Earlier, India sided with Starlink’s preference for administrative spectrum allocation over an auction, a point Jio had contested.
What Will Starlink Do Next?
Starlink still awaits final clearances, and neither SpaceX nor the government has announced a timeline. Musk is likely to keep up public pressure, but his next step is unclear. Watch for a decision on Starlink’s licence, spectrum pricing and whether the Jio and Airtel distribution deals still hold.
