BENGALURU, India — Elon Musk has pledged to offer Starlink satellite internet at affordable prices in India, challenging billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Jio as the two companies compete for access to one of the world’s largest telecommunications markets.
Musk’s announcement comes as Jio Platforms, the parent company of Reliance Jio, prepares for a stock market listing that could value the business at $106 billion, making it India’s largest-ever initial public offering.
The SpaceX chief executive has accused Ambani and the Indian government of obstructing Starlink’s entry into the country to protect established telecommunications businesses.
In a post on X on Saturday, October 10, 2026, Musk acknowledged that Starlink would need to compete with India’s exceptionally low internet prices.
The ridiculous arguments by Ambani’s army of Internet shills make no sense
On the one hand, they say Starlink couldn’t possibly compete with the amazing low prices offered by Ambani’s de facto monopoly in India and then, in the same breath, they essentially claim that Starlink would be too strong of a competitor! This is absurd hypocrisy and hyperbole.
The reality is that competition would greatly benefit the average citizen in India by giving them more choices, as it always does. Ambani’s profits will be lower, but he is not going out of business. And, obviously, if Starlink is too expensive in India, no one will buy it, so SpaceX will need to make pricing affordable.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 10, 2026
“Obviously, if Starlink is too expensive in India, no one will buy it, so SpaceX will need to make pricing affordable,” he wrote.
He did not disclose how much Starlink would charge Indian customers or when the service would become commercially available.
Musk Challenges Ambani Over Internet Competition
India has some of the world’s cheapest mobile internet services, with data costing approximately eight US cents per gigabyte.
Ambani launched Reliance Jio in 2016, and it expanded rapidly by offering inexpensive mobile data and attracting hundreds of millions of subscribers.
Musk said more competition would give Indian consumers more options, even if established operators lost some profits.
“Ambani’s profits will be lower, but he is not going out of business,” Musk wrote.
He also criticised arguments that Starlink couldn’t compete with Jio’s low prices while also threatening the company’s market position.
The comments followed several days of increasingly pointed exchanges over India’s regulation of satellite internet services.
On Friday, Musk addressed Ambani as “Prime Minister Ambani”, suggesting that the billionaire exercised undue influence over government decisions.
Dear Prime Minister Ambani,
Please accept my humble apologies for not realizing that you are the real boss of India.
Naturally, you would prefer to maintain your monopolistic exploitation of the great people of India, but would you nonetheless consider allowing Starlink to compete?
There are many areas of India, as there are in all countries, with no Internet access, which denies children the opportunity for education and for small businesses the opportunity to sell their goods to a global market. Starlink would change their lives for the better.
Thank you 🙏
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 9, 2026
The SpaceX chief executive questioned whether Ambani would “consider allowing Starlink to compete”.
Musk has also accused Indian telecommunications companies of maintaining a monopoly-like position that restricts competition.
He has not presented evidence establishing that Ambani personally intervened to prevent Starlink’s launch.
India Rejects Claims of Favouritism
The Indian government has rejected Musk’s allegations, saying it administers telecommunications licences and security clearances without favouring individual companies.
Telecommunications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia responded to the accusations on Friday.
“India does not allow a monopoly in any sector,” Scindia said, Reuters said.
The government said Starlink and two other licensed satellite communications operators, including Jio’s satellite venture, were at broadly similar stages in the regulatory process.
Officials described suggestions that the approval procedure was discriminatory as baseless.
Starlink has already obtained a licence to operate in India but must satisfy outstanding security requirements and receive a satellite spectrum assignment before beginning commercial services.
Jio’s competing satellite service also awaits final security clearance.
Musk has questioned why Starlink has yet to begin operations despite spending several years seeking regulatory approval.
Reliance Industries has not publicly responded to his latest accusations.
Jio Prepares for Record $106 Billion Valuation
The dispute comes shortly before Jio Platforms opens its shares to public investors.
The company is targeting a valuation of about 10.3 trillion rupees, or $106 billion, according to bankers familiar with the offering.
The proposed share price ranges from 1,065 to 1,119 rupees, and the company seeks to raise up to 302 billion rupees, or about $3.1 billion.
If completed at that level, the offering would surpass Hyundai Motor India’s $2.9 billion listing in 2024 to become the country’s largest initial public offering.
Jio Platforms operates businesses spanning mobile telecommunications, fixed broadband, cloud services, entertainment, enterprise technology, and artificial intelligence.
The company’s telecommunications division had approximately 524.4 million customers at the end of March.
Google and Meta are among its major foreign investors.
The company intends to use much of the money raised to repay borrowings associated with its telecommunications subsidiary.
Akash Ambani, the son of Mukesh Ambani, leads Jio.
Satellite Internet Market Awaits Regulatory Approval
Starlink uses satellites in low Earth orbit to provide broadband connectivity, including in locations where conventional telecommunications infrastructure is limited or unavailable.
Musk has argued that the technology could improve access to internet services in underserved Indian communities, particularly where fixed-line connections are difficult to establish.
The company has used competitive pricing in other markets, including Kenya, as it expands its international subscriber base.
However, Starlink’s potential entry into India would expose it to a market where mobile data is already inexpensive and established telecommunications companies have extensive distribution networks.
Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel dominate India’s mobile broadband industry, while satellite operators are seeking permission to provide alternative connectivity.
The dispute has also drawn attention because Starlink and Reliance Jio previously announced a commercial arrangement to distribute Starlink equipment and services in India, subject to regulatory approval.
That arrangement has not prevented the companies from pursuing competing satellite communications businesses.
The latest exchanges mark a change in Musk’s previously cordial public relationship with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Musk has repeatedly expressed interest in expanding his businesses in India, including through satellite communications and other technology services.
His latest comments signal his intent to compete on price but leave two questions unanswered: when Starlink will receive final permission to operate and how much Indian customers will have to pay.
