New Delhi in no mood to humor the world’s richest man amid an elusive US trade deal and Washington’s curbs on Indian IT companies and visas
India is not inclined to relax security requirements or offer special treatment to Elon Musk’s Starlink, despite the trillionaire’s repeated jabs over his satellite internet service’s delayed launch in India, according to Indian media reports.
With US-India relations “nose-diving” amid an unclosed trade deal, and Washington adding to the visa and other curbs on Indian IT companies and workers, New Delhi has no reason to humor Musk, the Hindu BusinessLine said on Monday.
Musk last week accused Indian businessman Mukesh Ambani of stalling Starlink’s launch in India. He doubled down on those allegations over the weekend, saying in a series of X posts that Ambani’s Reliance Jio was operating as a “de facto monopoly.” The world’s richest man even sarcastically addressed the Reliance Industries chairman, seen as close to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ruling BJP party, as “Prime Minister Ambani.”
He also argued that Starlink would give consumers more choice and promised affordable prices, without announcing a subscription rate. “Obviously, if Starlink is too expensive in India, no one will buy it,” Musk said.
India’s Communications Ministry rejected allegations of favoritism last week, describing its satellite licensing framework as “fair and non-discriminatory.” Starlink, Ambani’s Jio Satellite Communications, and Bharti Group-backed Eutelsat OneWeb are all undergoing security assessments before they can receive spectrum and begin commercial operations.
New Delhi may be digging in its heels. American companies must follow the same security procedures as other operators, and no exceptions are planned for Starlink, the Hindu BusinessLine report said, citing sources.
Indian Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia also rejected Musk’s monopoly allegations, saying India does not allow monopolies in any sector. The Home Ministry is examining the operators’ compliance with security requirements and will issue final clearances, he said.
Jio and OneWeb completed their technical and security compliance demonstrations before Starlink but are still awaiting final approvals. Jio completed its demonstration in March last year, OneWeb in the second half of the year, and Starlink in early 2026.
The dispute comes ahead of Jio Platforms’ planned initial public offering, which is targeting a valuation of around $106 billion, Reuters reported.
