Elon Musk used sarcastic posts on X to ask Mukesh Ambani whether he would let Starlink compete in India, saying satellite internet can reach remote villages, help students and small traders, and save lives during disasters.
Elon Musk took a sarcastic dig at Reliance chairman Mukesh Ambani on Friday (October 9) while pushing for Starlink, his satellite internet service, to be allowed in India.
In a series of posts on X, Musk called Ambani “Prime Minister Ambani” and said sorry for not knowing that he was the “real boss of India.” He then asked if Ambani would let Starlink compete in the Indian market.
Musk also claimed that Ambani would naturally want to keep control of India’s internet business to himself. Even so, he asked whether Ambani might be ready to open the market to competition.
Why musk says India needs Starlink
Musk said many parts of India, like many parts of the world, still have no internet at all. According to him, this keeps children away from good education and stops small businesses from selling their goods to customers across the world.
He said Starlink could change this. With a proper connection, students could study online, and small sellers could find buyers far beyond their own town or village.
In another post, Musk spoke about emergencies. He said Starlink has helped save lives during natural disasters around the world, especially when all other phone and internet services stopped working. If India allowed the service, he said, it could help save the lives of men, women and children here too.
His point has some basis. During floods, cyclones or earthquakes, mobile towers and underground cables often get damaged. Satellite internet connects directly to satellites in space, so it can keep working even when local networks go down.
What happens next
Musk’s posts come at a time when Starlink is trying to enter India’s satellite broadband market. Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel are already strong players here, with crores of customers between them.
Experts say Starlink could give people one more choice, mainly in far-off areas where laying cables and setting up towers is hard and costly.
However, Starlink cannot begin services just like that. Like any other satellite internet company, it must first get the required licences and meet India’s security and government rules. These approvals remain the biggest hurdle.
