‘Real boss of India’: Elon Musk escalates attack over Starlink’s India entry

Tech billionaire Elon Musk has continued his attack over Starlink’s delayed entry into India for the third consecutive day, taking a fresh swipe at Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani and accusing him of seeking to maintain a monopoly in the country’s internet market.

In a post on X, the SpaceX and Tesla CEO addressed Ambani as “Prime Minister Ambani” and sarcastically apologised for not realising that he was the “real boss of India”. Musk then asked whether Ambani would let Starlink compete in the Indian market.

“Please accept my humble apologies for not realising that you are the real boss of India,” Musk wrote.

“Naturally, you would prefer to maintain your monopolistic exploitation of the great people of India, but would you nonetheless consider allowing Starlink to compete?” he added.

Musk argued that Starlink could improve internet access in areas where connectivity remains limited. He said the satellite internet service could create educational opportunities for children and help small businesses reach international markets.

“There are many areas of India, as there are in all countries, with no Internet access, which denies children the opportunity for education and for small businesses the opportunity to sell their goods to a global market. Starlink would change their lives for the better,” he wrote.

Musk highlights Starlink's role in disaster management

In a second post on X, Musk highlighted Starlink’s role in providing communication services during natural disasters, arguing that the satellite-based system could help save lives when conventional communication networks fail.

“Also, Starlink has proven to be essential for saving lives during natural disasters throughout the world, when all other communications systems have failed, so you would also be helping save men, women and children throughout India,” Musk said.

How the row began

The row began when Musk, in a series of posts on X, alleged that "certain oligarchs" were blocking Starlink's entry into India despite the company's efforts to secure regulatory approvals.

In his post on Thursday, Musk questioned why Starlink was still waiting to begin commercial operations in India despite being licensed in more than 165 countries.

"Starlink is licenced in over 165 countries and has spent five years complying with every single law and requirement of the government of India, so why still no license? Is Ambani the real boss of India?" Musk wrote on X.

He made the post while sharing a claim that the Indian government was more interested in protecting "crony capitalists" than the interests of citizens.

Musk had made a similar allegation on Wednesday night, writing, “Unfortunately, we are being blocked by certain oligarchs to maintain their monopolistic chokehold on the Indian people. You can guess who they are …,”

Grok weighs in on Starlink row

In a surprise development earlier in the day, a user on X asked Grok, "Hey @grok List the disadvantages of allowing Starlink in India...."

Grok, the AI assistant developed by xAI, a company founded by Elon Musk, has highlighted several concerns surrounding Starlink's entry into India. Its response, which came in four parts, covered national security, data sovereignty, affordability and the potential impact on the domestic telecom sector.

On national security, Grok said a foreign-controlled network could limit India's ability to suspend services in sensitive border areas or ensure connectivity during crises. It also flagged past reports of terminals being used by militants or smugglers, raising concerns about potential misuse.

Addressing data sovereignty, Grok warned that Starlink's laser links could allow traffic to travel outside Indian gateways, making monitoring and lawful interception more complicated.

It also raised concerns about affordability, stating that Starlink's hardware and monthly subscription costs could be significantly higher than terrestrial internet services offered by providers such as Jio and Airtel, potentially limiting access in rural areas.

On the potential impact on India's telecom sector, Grok said Starlink could disrupt domestic operators and increase dependence on a single US-based provider instead of encouraging reliance on local alternatives.