Starlink said it has worked with regulators, industry and operators in India for over 5 years and has built a dedicated infrastructure in the country with necessary government approvals. Elon Musk’s company has claimed to be ready to provide high-speed internet services in India.

Starlink’s post on ‘X’ (formerly Twitter) also tagged Reliance Industries’ statement, which was released on Friday itself. Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance said it welcomed competition in the satellite communications sector (including Starlink), but stressed that all companies must comply with Indian laws.

Responding to ‘X’, Starlink said that we have worked closely with regulators, industry and operators in India for over 5 years. We have built a network of dedicated systems, gateways and other infrastructure within the country to serve Indian traffic securely and reliably – all with necessary government approvals. Starlink further said that it is ready to connect India with high-speed internet.

We have worked closely with regulators, industry and operators in India for 5+ years, and have built a network of dedicated systems, gateways and other infrastructure across the country, to serve only Indian traffic safely and securely – and with all necessary government approvals.

Starlink is all set to connect India with high-speed internet.

— Starlink (@Starlink) October 16, 2026

A statement came from Reliance

The conversation on Friday comes amid an ongoing public debate over competition in India’s satellite communications market. Elon Musk criticized India’s satellite communication (SATCOM) environment and raised questions about the competitive environment here. Reliance said that it considers the competitive market as the real test of which company provides the best service to its customers.

Also, Reliance emphasized that every company operating in India must comply with the law. In response to Musk’s latest comments, Reliance said on Friday that it was “laying out the facts”. At Reliance, we have never been afraid of competition, the company said in its statement. We consider this the biggest test of who provides the best customer service.

Reliance cited Jio’s record in support of its stand. The company said that when Jio entered India’s already saturated telecom market as a new entrant in 2016, it did not have a single customer. But in just 10 years, it has won the trust of more than 530 million (53 crore) customers. Jio has provided Indians with the world’s best digital infrastructure and cheapest data.

Statement from Reliance Industries

In light of the recent comments about Reliance and the Indian market, we would like to put the facts on record.

Like every Indian enterprise, Reliance has grown in an India that welcomes investment and innovation, indigenous or international, that improves people’s lives.

That openness is based on the rule of law. As stated by the Government of India, it applies the same procedure to every applicant, Indian or foreigner. Jio’s own satellite services are awaiting approval.

At Reliance, we have never been afraid of competition. We see it as the true test of who provides the best customer service. Jio itself entered India’s crowded telecom market in 2016 as the newest player, with not a single customer. In just ten years, Jio has earned the trust of over 530 million customers and provided Indians with the world’s best digital infrastructure and most affordable data.

We welcome competition in satellite communications, including Starlink. Every player, including Jio, must serve the people of India and abide by the laws and policies of the land.

— Reliance Industries Limited (@RIL_Updates) October 16, 2026

Competition is welcome

“We welcome competition in satellite communications, including Starlink,” a Reliance statement said. Every company including Jio should serve the people of India and follow the laws and policies of the country. It further states that India’s openness to investment and innovation (be it domestic or international) is based on the ‘rule of law’.

The company said that like every Indian enterprise, Reliance has grown in an India that welcomes investment and innovation – be it local or international – that improves people’s lives. This openness is based on the rule of law. Reliance said that as the government also says, it follows the same process for every applicant (whether Indian or foreign). The company also added that Jio’s own satellite services are also still awaiting approval.

On the controversy surrounding Starlink and Musk’s recent claims, government sources have clarified that any company operating in India has to comply with the laws of the country. He said that the stand of the central government has been clear and consistent from the beginning. Sources said earlier this week that the government’s position was very clear—and it was the same when they applied—that if you don’t follow Indian laws, you can’t do business here… So, to do business here, you have to follow Indian laws.

Airtel is far ahead of Starlink

Recently at the ‘Bloomberg New Economy Forum 2026’, Bharti Airtel Chairman Sunil Mittal said that his satellite communications venture ‘Utelsat OneWeb’ is way ahead of Elon Musk’s ‘Starlink’ in launching services in India. His statement marked a new twist in the ongoing public dispute over regulatory approvals and competition in the country’s satellite Internet market. Mittal said that I think I am far ahead of him in this queue. I applied five years ago. He further said that we don’t have the permission yet, so we will be very happy if we get this permission even a few days before him. Mittal said OneWeb’s ground network has been ready for three years and its satellites have been in India for five years, but the company is still waiting for permission to start commercial operations.

#View | Delhi | Bloomberg New Economy Forum | On Elon Musk’s tweet on Starlink, Bharti Enterprises chairman Sunil Bharti Mittal says, “We are all waiting for our approvals. I am significantly ahead of them in Qatar. I applied five years ago. I have prepared my ground network for the last three years. My satellites have been orbiting India for the last five years. So we will be very happy to at least get it to a few people. Days before that.”

(Source: Bloomberg New Economy Forum via ANI)

— ANI (@ANI) October 14, 2026

Statement by Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia

Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said that three companies – Musk’s ‘Starlink’, Reliance’s ‘Jio Satcom’ and Bharti-backed ‘Utelsat OneWeb’ – have received satellite communication licences. He said that Amazon’s ‘Project Kuiper’ has also shown interest, but they have to follow a set process. Scindia clarified that spectrum will be allocated only after the government finalizes the revenue-based charging framework and operators fulfill security conditions. He also said that the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) and the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) are very close to deciding on the pricing of satellite spectrum. A central point of contention is the difference between a license and operational approval: a company cannot start business services simply by obtaining a license. Allocation of spectrum and fulfillment of security conditions are still necessary steps.

#View | Delhi: Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia says, “…let me be very clear. India does not allow monopoly in any sector. So, as far as SATCOM is concerned, there is no single licensee selected. Everyone who wants to provide these services has been given licences. Today, there are three licensees that are out there. There are many parties that hold licences, but the parties are in talks. Jio, there is another party that is interested in getting the licence. is – and that process is followed by Amazon Project Cooper, and once each of these parties – A, B and C – these three have fulfilled their achievement or prerequisites individually.”

— ANI (@ANI) October 9, 2026

Reliance’s IPO is coming

The controversy has come at an important time for Reliance. The company is gearing up for an IPO of its digital services business ‘Jio Platforms’. Jio will issue 27 crore new shares (which is about 3% of the existing capital) at Rs. 1,065 to Rs. 1,119 price band has been fixed. This does not include ‘offer for sale’ (sale of shares by existing shareholders). At the upper end of the price band, these sales are estimated at Rs. 30,213 crore will be collected. This October 2024, Hyundai Motor India’s Rs. 27,870 crore more than the share sale, which was the largest sale ever. According to this price, the market value of the company is around Rs. 10.3 lakh crore, which is the company’s earlier stated Rs. 11 lakh crore is a little short of the target. Bids for this can be placed from October 21 to 23, while anchor investors can bid on October 19. It is expected that trading of the shares will start from October 28.

This is also a plan of Reliance

Reliance is also working on its satellite project. It is proposed to build a network of about 1,600 satellites in ‘low-Earth-orbit’ (orbit near the Earth), which aims to provide internet connectivity to 600,000 villages. With this, Jio will directly compete with Starlink. Starlink also wants to tap into a larger market where satellite broadband can deliver internet to remote areas and communities with little or no access to a regular network. Interestingly, an agreement was signed between Reliance and SpaceX last year to consider ways to offer Starlink services to Indian customers through Jio’s retail network.