Musk shares reports on Reliance-linked BJP funding, intensifies Ambani attack

• Elon Musk escalated his criticism of Mukesh Ambani, sharing reports about Reliance-linked political donations and support for BJP social media campaigns.

• Musk alleged that oligarchs were blocking Starlink to “maintain their monopolistic chokehold on the Indian people”.

• The government says Starlink and two other operators already hold satcom licences, with operations dependent on spectrum allocation and security compliance.

Elon Musk on Saturday intensified his criticism of Mukesh Ambani over delays to Starlink’s launch in India, sharing media reports about Reliance-linked political funding and alleged support for BJP campaigns on social media.

His latest post on X featured a 2022 Al Jazeera report examining how a Reliance-funded firm promoted BJP campaigns on Facebook. He also shared an archived Indian Express report from 2024 stating that Qwik Supply, described as a Reliance-linked company, donated Rs 385 crore to the BJP and Rs 25 crore to the Shiv Sena through electoral bonds.

The posts mark an escalation in Musk’s argument that influential business interests are obstructing his satellite broadband service to protect their position in the Indian market. The reports he shared concern political funding and campaigning; they do not, by themselves, establish interference in Starlink’s approvals.

Reliance has not publicly responded to Musk’s allegations. The government has rejected suggestions of selective treatment, describing its authorisation framework for telecom and satellite services as “fair and non-discriminatory”.

In another post, Musk sarcastically addressed the industrialist as “Prime Minister Ambani” and accused him of protecting a monopoly. He asked whether Ambani would allow Starlink to compete in India.

Musk has also argued that satellite broadband could expand internet access in underserved areas, helping children access education and small businesses reach overseas customers. In a subsequent post, he highlighted Starlink’s use during natural disasters when other communications networks fail.

The government, however, has maintained that the remaining steps towards commercial operations apply to all licensed satellite communications providers.

Speaking at the India Mobile Congress in Delhi on Friday, Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said Starlink, Reliance Jio’s satellite venture Jio Satcom and Bharti-backed Eutelsat OneWeb had already received satcom licences.

He said operators could begin services once spectrum was assigned under the government’s proposed charging framework and each company met the required security conditions.

The distinction is central to the dispute: receiving a satcom licence does not automatically mean an operator can immediately launch commercial services. Spectrum allocation and compliance requirements remain part of the process.

Scindia said the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India and the Department of Telecommunications were close to a final decision on satellite spectrum pricing. Amazon’s Project Kuiper had also expressed interest and would have to follow the established approval procedure, he added.

Rejecting Musk’s monopoly allegations, the minister said the government was technology-neutral and wanted consumers to choose between services and providers in a competitive market.

Musk, meanwhile, has questioned why Starlink remains unable to launch despite what he described as five years of compliance with Indian requirements. In one post, he asked why the company still had “no licence”, a claim at odds with the government’s statement that Starlink already holds a satcom licence.

The disagreement has unfolded alongside the India Mobile Congress, bringing satellite broadband competition and the approval process into focus at the annual telecom event.

With PTI inputs