'Jio's own satellites await clearances': RIL issues rebuttal to Musk's Starlink India claims

Mukesh Ambani led textile-to-telecom conglomerate Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) on Friday responded to Elon Musk's tweet over Starlink's delayed launch in India. Starlink is operationally ready to begin satellite internet services in India but is still waiting for the remaining government clearances.

In an official statement, the conglomerate said that Jio's own satellites are awaiting government clearances. "As the Government of India has stated, it applies the same process to every applicant, Indian or foreign. Jio's own satellite services await clearances," the statement noted.

The statement further said that even though Reliance welcomes investment and innovation that makes people's lives better, that openness is subject to the rule of law.

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"Like every Indian enterprise, Reliance has grown in an India that welcomes investment and innovation, homegrown or international, that improve the lives of the people," the company statement read. Further, the company noted that it has never feared competition.

"We see it as the truest test of who serves the customer best. Jio itself entered India's crowded telecom market in 2016 as the newest player, with not a single customer. In just ten years, Jio has earned the trust of over 530 million customers and given Indians some of the best digital infrastructure and most affordable data in the world."

Towards the end, the textile-to-telecom conglomerate said, "We welcome competition in satellite communications, including Starlink. Every player, Jio included, must serve the people of India and abide by the laws and policies of the land."

Read full statement here

Akash Ambani sidesteps Musk's tirade

Last week, Reliance Jio chairman Akash Ambani said on the sidelines of the India Mobile Congress 2026 that the company is making "rapid progress" on its satcom plans but didn't give a specific timeline for the launch of its first fleet of low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites.

In an exclusive interaction with Business Today TV, the Reliance Jio chairman was asked about Musk's recent comments on India's satellite internet market. Akash Ambani said that he had no comments on the same.

“We want to be heads down and deliver value to our Indian consumers,” he said, signalling that the company's focus is on expanding connectivity rather than indulging in the debate.

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Sunil Bharti Mittal's response to Musk

RIL was not the only one to issue a pointed rebuttal to the world's first and only trillionaire. Speaking at the Bloomberg New Economy Forum, Bharti Enterprises founder and chairman Sunil Bharti Mittal said that his company applied for permission around 5 years back, adding that he would be happy to get permission at least a few days before Musk.

He said, "We are all awaiting our approvals. I am significantly ahead of him in the queue. I applied five years back. I have had my ground network ready for the last three years. My satellites have been hovering over India for the last five years. We don't have the permission. So, we will be very happy to get it at least a few days before him."

Musk's posts over delayed India launch

His statement came after the Tesla and SpaceX founder accused "certain oligarchs" of allegedly blocking Starlink in India. Musk wrote in a post on X, "Unfortunately, we are being blocked by certain oligarchs in order to maintain their monopolistic chokehold on the Indian people. You can guess who they are... This is a crime against the people of India!"

In another post, Musk addressed Mukesh Ambani as "Prime Minister Ambani" while seeking an opportunity for Starlink to compete in India. He wrote, "Dear Prime Minister Ambani, Please accept my humble apologies for not realising that your are the real boss of India."

Further, he said that Ambani would naturally prefer to maintain a monopolistic hold on the country's internet sector but asked whether he would nevertheless consider opening the market to competition.

Musk added, "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."