Elon Musk escalates attack on Ambani; shares media reports alleging Reliance funding BJP campaigns, donations

Tech billionaire Elon Musk continued his attack on Indian industrialist Mukesh Ambani on Saturday with a post on X. He shared screenshots of media reports that alleged a Reliance-funded organisation helped boost BJP campaigns on social media. The post also claimed that a Reliance-linked company made large political donations to the BJP.

Elon Musk's recent post on social media platform X shows an Al Jazeera report from 2022 headlined "How a Reliance-funded firm boosts BJP's campaigns on Facebook". The same post also shows an archived Indian Express report from 2024 on Qwik Supply, claiming that the Reliance-linked firm donated Rs 385 crore to the BJP and Rs 25 crore to the Shiv Sena through electoral bonds.

The latest post follows a wave of sharp criticism from Musk directed at Mukesh Ambani over a continuous delay in the rollout of Starlink satellite broadband services in India. Reliance has chosen not to respond publicly to Musk’s allegations, while the government has continued to insist that India’s authorisation framework for telecom and satellite services is “fair and non-discriminatory,” rejecting any suggestion that it is being applied selectively as “baseless and misconceived.”

Indian govt reacts

The exchange unfolded against the backdrop of the India Mobile Congress this week, where, even as Musk’s pointed jabs and confrontations played out on X alongside the country’s flagship telecom showcase, Reliance Jio Infocomm Chairman Akash Ambani steered clear of the controversy. He said the company remained focused on delivering value to Indian consumers rather than engaging in the debate over satellite communication services.

Hours before this latest post, Musk had referred to Mukesh Ambani on X as “Prime Minister Ambani,” accusing him of shielding a monopoly, and questioned whether Ambani would ever allow Starlink to compete on equal footing in India. Responding on Friday, Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia pushed back, stating that India does not tolerate monopolies in any sector. He pointed out that despite the attention surrounding one company, three players currently hold satcom licences and are free to begin operations once they clear the required security checks and milestones.