Elon Musk Accuses Mukesh Ambani of Blocking Starlink in India

Elon Musk accused Indian tycoon Mukesh Ambani of being the real boss of India and preventing SpaceX's Starlink from competing in the domestic satellite internet market. In posts on the social-media platform X, Musk targeted both Ambani and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, suggesting the Indian government promotes crony capitalism to protect domestic interests.

Reliance Industries and the Indian ministry of communications rejected the claims, with the ministry describing the charges as baseless and misconceived. While Starlink received an operating license last year, it cannot begin commercial operations without security clearance from the Indian government. Domestic competitors Jio Satellite Communications and Eutelsat OneWeb are also awaiting similar clearances.

Indian officials remain cautious of Musk due to his ownership of X and his business ties to Beijing through Tesla's Shanghai operations. Government concerns also include the potential security risks associated with Starlink's influence in global conflicts.