SpaceX founder Elon Musk publicly questioned Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani about whether he is the true boss of India. He stated that Starlink has been approved in over 165 countries and has spent five years meeting every legal requirement of the Indian government, yet still has no license. The day before, he accused an unnamed oligarch of blocking launches to maintain a monopoly, calling it a crime against the Indian people, without providing evidence.

The Indian Ministry of Communications refuted the previous day's claims, stating that the accusations were baseless. The ministry noted that three satellite communication operators have obtained telecom licenses and are conducting safety assessments, which must be completed before they can apply for spectrum. The three are Starlink, Reliance Jio, and OneWeb India Communications. Musk directly attributed the lack of a license to Ambani, without attaching regulatory documents.

Jio is the largest telecom and internet operator in India. CNBC reported that Jio and another major operator, Airtel, together control about 80% of the market. Forbes cited Jio's official website stating that as of March 31, Jio has over 520 million customers. TechCrunch reported that India has over 1 billion internet users. Starlink's official figures indicate around 12 million global users. The entry into India is still stalled at the safety assessment stage and is not yet commercially billed.

Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi responded by welcoming Musk to India, suggesting he might discover another person. The report pointed to another Indian billionaire, Gautam Adani. Musk replied, thanking him, and acknowledged that it was indeed unsettling. The debate shifted from licensing progress to which of the two Indian businessmen is influencing access.

Starlink's application to enter India has been pending for over five years. Musk claimed the service could provide affordable high-speed internet to those without connectivity. The government process places safety assessments before spectrum allocation, with Jio and OneWeb also in the same queue. All three have telecom licenses, but none have progressed to spectrum allocation. Musk only attributes the delay to Ambani.

The buyers are Starlink, which is waiting for Indian spectrum, and Jio Satellite Communications and OneWeb, which are in the safety assessment queue. The sellers are the ground broadband shares, with Jio and Airtel controlling about 80%. The event is driven by the conflict over licensing rhetoric, not the results of spectrum auctions. Funds have not yet entered the bills of Indian users. If Starlink passes the assessment, the beneficiaries will be the access orders for uncovered areas. The pressure is on the pricing of edge coverage for ground operators, as well as the narrative that the safety assessment is a veto by oligarchs. Without the completion of the assessment, the spectrum has not been issued.

Source: Public information