Musk vs Reliance: A timeline of the Starlink India feud

Dubai: It all started in early October, when Elon Musk decided to vent out his frustration on his social media platform X. But what really was bothering the world’s richest man, that he had to publicly call it out? Musk was blaming unnamed ‘oligarchs’ for blocking Starlink in India

Ten days of posts on X followed, where he went on to sarcastically claim Reliance chairman Mukesh Ambani to be running India. It was a one-sided conversation, but Musk found support in many opposition leaders, who used the opportunity, without giving Musk any clear solution. On October 16, Reliance Industry chose to respond with a post on X, saying it welcomed competition and had “never feared” rivals.

The row now pits SpaceX’s satellite arm against Jio, India’s largest mobile operator. Jio says its own satellite services also await clearances. But to understand where things stand and what lies ahead, here's a clear timeline of how this feud unfolded.

Spectrum pricing in India remains a live issue. Starlink has waited since 2022 for licences to operate commercially in India. Musk and Jio clashed for months over how spectrum should be granted. Starlink wanted satellite airwaves allocated administratively, while Jio pushed for an auction. In 2024, the government sided with Musk and argued that satellite spectrum is shared and hence cannot be auctioned.

Both sides then softened their stance Jio and Airtel announced deals in March 2025 to stock Starlink equipment. The telecoms ministry issued a licence on June 6, 2025. The space regulator IN-SPACe followed on July 9, 2025, leaving out spectrum, ground infrastructure and security testing.

Musk wrote that Starlink was “being blocked by certain oligarchs” protecting a monopolistic chokehold on Indians. He called it a crime against the people of India. In this post he named no one and gave no evidence.

Musk named his target the next day. “Is Ambani the real boss of India?” he asked. He added that Starlink is licensed in over 165 countries and has spent five years complying with Indian requirements, and asked why it still has no licence. 

India’s communications ministry replied without naming him. It called its satcom framework “fair and non-discriminatory”. Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi told Musk to “wait till you discover the other guy.” Musk agreed the situation was troubling. 

The telecom ministry on its part set the record straight on October 8. It called the suggestion of unfair treatment “baseless and misconceived”.

Musk escalated that conversation late that evening. He wrote “Dear Prime Minister Ambani” and asked whether Ambani would “consider allowing Starlink to compete”. He also apologised sarcastically for not realising Ambani was India’s “real boss”.

Telecom minister Jyotiraditya Scindia answered within hours. He said India “does not allow a monopoly in any sector”. He added that Starlink, Jio Satcom and Eutelsat OneWeb all hold the same licenses. 

Musk then turned to Ambani’s online defenders. He dismissed their arguments as “absurd hypocrisy and hyperbole”. He conceded Starlink must price affordably. Competition, he argued, would lower Ambani’s profits, but “he is not going out of business”.

Reliance broke its silence on X. It said it wanted to “place the facts on record” and noted that the government applies one process to every applicant, Indian or foreign. The company reminded readers that Jio entered the market in 2016 with no customers and now serves over 530 million.

The closing line carried the message: “We welcome competition in satellite communications, including Starlink.” Reliance added that every player, Jio included, must follow the laws of the land, without specifically calling out Musk.

The timing of these events is what has raised many an eyebrow. Jio Platforms is said to be preparing an IPO with a Dh389 billion valuation. The IPO is likely to open for subscription on October 21 and shares could list on October 28. The price band is ₹1,065 to ₹1,119 a share. 

At the top end, Jio seeks ₹30,213 crore or Dh11.8 billion, which would beat Hyundai Motor India’s ₹27,800 crore issue of October 2024, India’s current record. 

According to the ministry, Starlink, Jio and Airtel are all at “broadly the same regulatory stage”. All three face security assessments first. Each must show compliance with security conditions before seeking spectrum. A telecom license alone does not allow commercial services. Which means that each operator can only move to the spectrum step once it completes all the due processes. So far, no launch date has been announced by any of the contending operators.