Musk Accuses Ambani’s Supporters of ‘Absurd Hypocrisy’ Over Starlink Competition

Elon Musk on Sunday renewed his criticism of billionaire Mukesh Ambani over Starlink’s entry into India, accusing supporters of Reliance’s internet services of making contradictory arguments about the competition posed by his satellite broadband venture.

In a post on X, the SpaceX chief said Ambani’s supporters were simultaneously claiming that Starlink could not compete with India’s low internet prices and that it would pose a formidable competitive threat.

“This is absurd hypocrisy and hyperbole,” Musk said, describing the arguments as “ridiculous”. He maintained that competition would benefit ordinary Indians by providing consumers with more choices, even if it reduced Ambani’s profits. Musk argued that Reliance would remain in business despite increased competition.

He also said that if Starlink’s services were too expensive for Indian consumers, they would not subscribe, forcing the company to make its pricing affordable. Musk has repeatedly targeted Ambani this week over delays in launching Starlink’s satellite broadband services in India. On Saturday, he shared media reports concerning alleged political links involving Reliance-associated entities and donations to the BJP. Reliance has not publicly responded to his allegations.

Earlier, Musk sarcastically addressed Ambani as “Prime Minister Ambani”, accusing him of seeking to protect a monopoly and questioning whether Starlink would be allowed to compete freely in India. He has argued that satellite internet could help connect underserved areas, expanding educational opportunities for children and enabling small businesses to reach global markets.

Musk also highlighted Starlink’s role in maintaining communications during natural disasters.Union Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, meanwhile, said India does not permit monopolies in any sector and that the government follows a fair, non-discriminatory regulatory framework.

Scindia said Starlink, Reliance Jio’s satellite venture and Bharti-backed Eutelsat OneWeb had secured satellite communication licences. They can begin operations after fulfilling individual security requirements and other stipulated conditions.

Amazon’s Project Kuiper has also expressed interest and must follow the established approval process. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India and the Department of Telecommunications are nearing a decision on the pricing framework for satellite spectrum.