Reliance Industries has backed competition in India’s satellite communications market while telling Elon Musk’s Starlink and all other applicants to follow the country’s laws, policies and security requirements.
The statement came ahead of Reliance’s proposed Rs 30,213-crore Jio IPO and followed a series of posts by Musk on X accusing “certain oligarchs” of blocking Starlink’s entry into India. Musk named Reliance chairman Mukesh Ambani in subsequent posts, according to the Times of India report.
In an early morning statement on Friday, Reliance said it welcomed competition in satellite communications, including Starlink. “Every player, Jio included, must serve the people of India and abide by the laws and policies of the land,” the company said.
Reliance also cited Jio’s entry into India’s telecom market in 2016, when it had no customers, and said the company had since built a base of more than 53 crore customers. It described the expansion as having helped provide digital infrastructure and affordable data services in the country.
The company said India’s openness to investment and innovation depended on the rule of law and a common process for applicants, whether Indian or foreign. It added that Jio’s own satellite services were still awaiting clearances.
The government has rejected Musk’s allegations. Union communications minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said last Thursday that three companies had received licences for satellite communications services. He said spectrum would be assigned after the government decided the revenue-based charging system and after each company fulfilled individual security conditions.
The licensed companies identified in the report are Sunil Bharti-backed Eutelsat OneWeb, Reliance Jio and Starlink. All three are preparing to begin satellite communications services in India. Amazon’s Project Kuiper is also seeking a licence.
Satellite broadband is expected to serve areas where laying terrestrial broadband infrastructure is difficult or not feasible. The proposed services would therefore extend beyond a corporate contest between telecom and technology companies, placing licensing, spectrum pricing, security clearance and service obligations at the centre of India’s connectivity framework.
The immediate operational timeline remains linked to government decisions on the spectrum charging system and to the completion of security conditions and other clearances for individual providers.
