Elon Musk Accuses Mukesh Ambani of Hypocrisy Over Starlink
Elon Musk criticized Mukesh Ambani for allegedly using a monopoly to hinder Starlink's entry into the Indian satellite internet market.
CEO of SpaceX and Starlink Elon Musk accused supporters of Mukesh Ambani of absurd hypocrisy regarding the entry of satellite internet services into India. Musk argued that critics contradict themselves by claiming Starlink cannot compete with Ambani's low pricing while simultaneously asserting that the service poses a significant competitive threat.
Musk contended that introducing satellite internet competition would benefit Indian citizens by expanding choice and providing access to underserved regions. While he acknowledged that such competition might lower profits for Ambani, he maintained that the billionaire would not go out of business. Additionally, Musk shared reports alleging that firms funded by Reliance have provided significant electoral bond donations to boost BJP political campaigns.
In response to the dispute, Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia denied that India permits monopolies. Scindia confirmed that the Department of Telecommunications has secured satcom licenses for three entities: Starlink, Jio Satcom, and Eutelsat OneWeb. He stated that the government remains technology agnostic and is currently finalizing the pricing regime for satcom spectrum.
