Musk publicly accuses Modi government of favoring Ambani; India denies approval bias

Musk publicly pledged on Saturday via X that SpaceX's Starlink would offer services in India at "affordable" prices, directly taking aim at Reliance Group chief Mukesh Ambani's low-cost operator Reliance Jio — just days before Jio's parent company launches the largest IPO in Indian history.

According to Al Jazeera, Musk wrote in his post: "It's obvious that if Starlink prices too high in India, no one will buy it, so SpaceX must make the price affordable." He further stated: "The reality is that competition will greatly benefit ordinary Indian people, giving them more choices, as always. Ambani's profits will fall, but he won't go bankrupt because of it."

This stance continues Musk's recent direct attacks on India's regulatory environment. In multiple posts, he accused Prime Minister Modi's government of colluding with Ambani to delay Starlink's entry into the Indian market, in order to favor the market leader Jio. Late last Friday, Musk went further, using the mocking title "Prime Minister Ambani" to taunt India's richest man, asking whether he would "consider allowing Starlink to compete." Reliance Group has not responded to Musk's remarks.

The Indian government has denied any bias in the approval process. According to Al Jazeera citing Indian officials, three companies that have applied for satellite operations, including Starlink and Jio, are all still awaiting final security clearances.

Behind the controversy lies a massive capital chess game. Jio Platforms' upcoming IPO targets a valuation of up to $106 billion, making it the largest listing in Indian history. Musk has previously employed aggressive low-price strategies to disrupt local telecom operators in markets such as Kenya, but in India, he has yet to announce a specific pricing plan. Mobile data tariffs in India stand at roughly 7.74 rupees per GB (about $0.08), among the lowest in the world — a market landscape that Jio itself once reshaped through its disruptive low pricing.

Musk and Modi had long maintained a publicly friendly relationship. Musk's sudden public accusation on X that the Indian government is "favoring" domestic competitors, along with his use of the mocking title "Prime Minister Ambani" to directly taunt the tycoon, has itself crossed the boundaries of commercial competition. It highlights how globally powerful tech executives with vast audiences are using their personal social media platforms as leverage to exert direct public opinion pressure on a sovereign nation's regulatory procedures.