Dear Prime Minister Ambani, accept my apologies: Elon Musk
Musk said Starlink was licensed in more than 165 countries and had spent five years complying with Indian government requirements, questioning why final approval remained outstanding
Elon Musk has stepped up his criticism of Indian billionaire Mukesh Ambani over delays in approving satellite internet services in India, sarcastically addressing him as "Prime Minister Ambani" in a late-night post on X.
"Dear Prime Minister Ambani, please accept my humble apologies for not realising that you are the real boss of India. Naturally, you would prefer to maintain your monopolistic exploitation of the great people of India, but would you nonetheless consider allowing Starlink to compete?" Musk wrote.
He said Starlink could bring internet access to underserved areas, expand opportunities for many.
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"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," he said.
"Starlink would change their lives for the better. 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," he added.
Musk's latest post follows a series of criticisms over delays in approving satellite communication services in India. Starlink, backed by Musk, is among three companies holding licences, alongside Eutelsat OneWeb, backed by Sunil Bharti Mittal, and Mukesh Ambani's Reliance Jio.
On Wednesday, Musk accused unnamed "oligarchs" of blocking Starlink's entry into India, adding that people could "guess who they are".
The following day, he named Ambani and asked whether he was "the real boss of India". His latest post escalated the rhetoric by addressing Ambani as the country's prime minister.
Meanwhile, the Indian government has denied the allegations, reports The Times of India.
Speaking at the India Mobile Congress, Telecom Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said three companies had received licences and would be assigned spectrum once the government finalised the pricing framework and they met the required security conditions.
"We are very clear on our stand. As and when govt decides the charge system on revenue basis that spectrum will be assigned to them and as and when they individually fulfil security conditions, they can start operations," he said.
"India does not allow monopoly in any sector," Scindia added.
He said the government was technology-neutral and aimed to provide consumers with a range of services and the freedom to choose providers. Its responsibility was to establish a predictable regulatory framework so companies could make capital expenditure decisions, he said.
Scindia also said the government was close to a final decision on satellite spectrum pricing. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) had made recommendations, and the Department of Telecommunications was discussing the matter with the regulator.
Amazon, led by billionaire Jeff Bezos, is also seeking a licence for its Project Kuiper satellite internet service.
