Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
Reliance Industries has issued a statement addressing claims by SpaceX CEO Elon Musk for allegedly blocking Starlink’s launch in India. In the statement posted on X, the company 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.”
While Reliance did not name Elon Musk directly, it mentioned recent events around its operations. “In light of recent remarks about Reliance and the Indian market, we wish to place the facts on record,” the company said.
advertisement
Previously, Elon Musk had made claims that “certain oligarchs” in India were trying to block Starlink’s launch in the country. Later, Musk took jibes at Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani. He wrote, “Is Ambani the real boss of India?” Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi had responded to Musk’s comments on X. “Welcome to India, Elon. Wait till you discover the other guy,” he replied.
Jio is also waiting for clearance, says Reliance
Coming back to the statement, Reliance added that its own plan for Jio’s satellite internet service also waited for clearances, like Starlink The company insisted that it welcomed “investment and innovation, homegrown or international, that improve the lives of the people.” However, the Indian conglomerate clarified that all companies must abide by Indian law and framework. “As the Government of India has stated, it applies the same process to every applicant, Indian or foreign,” it said.
This comes a day after Bharti Airtel Chairman Sunil Bharti Mittal took a dig at Elon Musk. Speaking at the Bloomberg New Economy Forum, Mittal claimed that he had applied for a satellite internet service licence long before Musk and Starlink. “I am significantly ahead of him in the queue. I applied five years back,” he said. Bharti Airtel is a backer of the Eutelsat OneWeb project.
Previously, India’s Ministry of Communications had rejected Musk’s claims that the approval process favoured domestic players. It said Starlink, Eutelsat OneWeb and Jio Satellite Communications were at broadly similar stages, with all three awaiting security clearances and spectrum allocation before launching commercial services.
At the Indian Mobile Congress 2026, Starlink VP Lauren Dreyer said the company was ready to start India operations once it receives approval. “For the past five years, Starlink has been working closely with Indian regulators,” she said. “We’ve established the operations here in India, to be ready to serve India.”
On the other hand, Jio is planning a satellite network of around 1,600 LEO satellites and 23 ground stations. Satellite network services like Starlink can provide high-speed data in remote areas where population density is low. These services rely on satellites in low Earth orbit, and do not require cellular towers.
– Ends
SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
