Elon Musk Criticizes Mukesh Ambani Amid Starlink Launch Delays in India
Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX, criticized Indian billionaire Mukesh Ambani for allegedly stalling the launch of his company's Starlink internet service in India. Despite spending five years complying with regulations, Starlink has yet to begin operations due to regulatory delays and concerns over terminal usage without proper licensing. The comments sparked political reactions within India, particularly from opposition leader Rahul Gandhi, who accused the government of favoring powerful business figures like Ambani and Gautam Adani. Mukesh Ambani's Jio is reportedly planning its own satellite network with 1,600 low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites to expand connectivity in India. Starlink already operates a fleet of over 11,000 satellites globally but has faced hurdles entering the Indian market alongside other providers like Eutelsat OneWeb and Airtel-backed services. In addition to Starlink's struggles, Musk’s ventures such as Tesla have also seen limited success in India. The electric vehicle company reportedly sold only over 1,000 cars since its launch last year.
Topics: Elon Musk India telecom Mukesh Ambani Political response SpaceX Starlink