Reliance Industries has said it welcomes competition in satellite communications, including Elon Musk-led Starlink, after the SpaceX chief accused “oligarchs” of blocking the company’s entry into India. In a statement, Reliance said Jio’s satellite services were also awaiting government clearances, adding that the same process applied to all applicants, Indian or foreign.
“We welcome 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.
“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 given Indians some of the best digital infrastructure and most affordable data in the world,” it added.
The controversy began after Musk alleged in a post on X that certain “oligarchs” were blocking Starlink’s entry into India. He also questioned why the company had not received approval despite complying with Indian laws and regulatory requirements.
"Starlink is licensed in over 165 countries and has spent five years complying with every single law and requirement of the government of India, so why still no license?."Is Ambani the real boss of India?" Musk said in an X post.
The government has issued licences to Bharti Group-backed Eutelsat OneWeb, the Jio-SES joint venture Jio Satellite Communications, and Starlink to provide satellite communication services in India. Amazon’s Project Kuiper has also applied for a licence but is yet to receive government approval.
Bharti Enterprises chairman Sunil Bharti Mittal has said that his Eutelsat OneWeb venture is significantly ahead of Starlink in the queue for satellite communication approvals in India.
“At Reliance, we have never feared competition. We see it as the truest test of who serves the customer best. 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 given Indians some of the best digital infrastructure and most affordable data in the world,” said the company, in a statement.
