‘Wait till you discover the other guy’: Rahul Gandhi takes a swipe as Musk's 'real boss of India' remark triggers X subscription cancellations

Some Indian X users are cancelling their subscriptions to the social media platform after Elon Musk's remarks questioning whether Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani is the “real boss of India”. Several users have posted screenshots of their subscription cancellations on X, tagging Musk as the row over Starlink's entry into India escalates.

The online backlash follows a series of posts by the billionaire entrepreneur accusing unnamed business interests of obstructing his satellite internet company. Musk has questioned why Starlink has yet to receive final approval to begin commercial operations in India, despite being licensed in more than 165 countries.

The controversy has also drawn in Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi, who responded to Musk's remarks with a pointed reference to "the other guy", purportedly another Indian industrialist.

‘Welcome to India, Elon’: Rahul Gandhi responds to Musk

In a post on X, Musk had asked whether Ambani was the “real boss of India” while criticising the regulatory hurdles facing Starlink. He shared the post amid claims that the government was more concerned with protecting the interests of powerful business groups than those of ordinary citizens.

“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.

Earlier, Musk had accused unnamed “oligarchs” of trying to preserve their market dominance by preventing Starlink from entering India. “Unfortunately, we are being blocked by certain oligarchs in order to maintain their monopolistic chokehold on the Indian people. You can guess who they are. This is a crime against the people of India!” he wrote.

Gandhi responded: “Welcome to India, Elon. Wait till you discover the other guy”. Notably, Gandhi did not disclose who he was referring to, but it is believed to have been a dig at industrialist Gautam Adani. Gandhi and the Congress have repeatedly accused Adani of maintaining close ties with the BJP-led government and receiving favourable treatment, allegations that have been central to the party's political criticism.

Musk replied to Gandhi within an hour, writing: “Thank you, Rahul. This is indeed troubling.”

Why is Musk criticising India's Starlink approval process?

Musk's remarks centre on the regulatory clearances required before Starlink can offer commercial satellite internet services in India.

The government has authorised three companies in the satellite communications space: SpaceX's Starlink, Reliance Jio's satellite venture Jio Satcom and Bharti-backed Eutelsat OneWeb. Notably, the companies cannot begin commercial services until they complete the required security assessments and obtain spectrum-related approvals.

However, Musk alleged that the delay in Starlink's launch in India stems from “being blocked by certain oligarchs in order to maintain their monopolistic chokehold”.

The India Ministry of Communications has rejected allegations that India's framework was discriminatory, saying the process was fair and applied equally to the companies involved. “The suggestion that the framework or its application is unfair or discriminatory is baseless and misconceived,” the ministry said in a statement, without naming Musk or Starlink.

Indian users turn to subscription cancellations

Musk's remarks have prompted some Indian users to publicly announce that they are cancelling their X subscriptions. Screenshots showing subscription cancellations have been shared on the platform, with users tagging Musk.