For four years a question has hung over India's skies: who gets to carry the signal from orbit into Indian homes, and on whose terms. When Starlink's executives said they were ready and merely waiting, and Elon Musk again accused New Delhi of tilting the field toward incumbents, the country's largest telecom group answered in a way that turned the grievance back on itself, noting that its own satellite services also sit in the queue. The government replies that the process is applied evenly and that the cases are at similar stages. What remains unsettled is less a quarrel between companies tha
Reliance Says Jio's Satellite Services Also Await Clearance as Musk Alleges Bias Against Starlink
Jio's own satellite services await clearances.
Mark
Why did this flare up now, after four years of waiting?
Mimi
Lauren Dreyer, a SpaceX vice-president, said at India Mobile Congress 2026 that Starlink was ready to operate and only waiting on approvals. Musk then posted on X about the delay.
Mark
And Reliance's reply was fairly sharp.
Mimi
It turned the argument around. It said Jio's own satellite services also await clearances, so the same process applies to everyone, Indian or foreign.
Luke
Worth noting that's Reliance's statement, not an independent finding. It shows Jio is also waiting, but it doesn't settle whether the process is even-handed.
Mark
What does the government say?
Mimi
The telecom ministry says three satellite ventures are at broadly similar stages, with security assessments under way. It called the bias claims baseless and misconceived.
Luke
But it didn't name the companies or mention Musk, so we're inferring that the three include Starlink and Jio. The ministry hasn't said which stage each is at, or what is holding up the security reviews.
Mark
Is there a bigger backdrop?
Mimi
Yes. Deloitte estimates a $1.9 billion satellite broadband market in India by 2030, and Washington has raised Starlink's market access in trade talks.
Luke
That's one estimate, and the trade link is about discussions in general. Nothing here shows a deal depends on Starlink's approval.
Mark
So what's actually unknown?
Luke
When the clearances will come, and whether the spectrum question is settled. The reporting doesn't say.
El Pulso
- Starlink says it is ready to launch in India, yet four years of waiting have not produced a final approval.
- Elon Musk has publicly renewed charges that India favours established telecom operators, reigniting an old feud.
- Reliance Industries pushes back, insisting the same rules apply to domestic and foreign applicants and pointing out that Jio's own satellite services are also awaiting clearance.
- The telecom ministry calls the discrimination claims baseless, noting three ventures are at similar stages with security checks still under way.
- Spectrum allocation and security assessments must conclude before anything moves, and Starlink's access is now tangled in US-India trade talks.
For four years a question has hung over India's skies: who gets to carry the signal from orbit into Indian homes, and on whose terms. When Starlink's executives said they were ready and merely waiting, and Elon Musk again accused New Delhi of tilting the field toward incumbents, the country's largest telecom group answered in a way that turned the grievance back on itself, noting that its own satellite services also sit in the queue. The government replies that the process is applied evenly and that the cases are at similar stages. What remains unsettled is less a quarrel between companies than a test of whether a sovereign state can be patient, consistent and firm with a foreign giant while keeping an eye on the wider bargain between two nations.
At the India Mobile Congress 2026, Lauren Dreyer of SpaceX told the room that Starlink was prepared to begin operating in India and was only waiting on regulatory approvals. Her remark reopened a dispute that has simmered for years, and within hours Elon Musk was on X, frustrated by the delay and again accusing the Indian government of favouring established telecom operators.
Reliance Industries answered for the incumbents. Its position was that India's rules must bind domestic and international companies alike, and it pointedly observed that Jio's own satellite services were also still waiting for clearance. The company recalled that Jio entered a crowded market in 2016 with no customers and now serves more than 530 million subscribers, and said it welcomed satellite competition, Starlink included, so long as every operator obeyed Indian law.
The telecom ministry rejected the allegation outright, describing the claims as baseless and misconceived. It said three satellite ventures sat at broadly similar points in the process, with security assessments still underway, and that the same procedure was being applied to all of them. It did not name names or mention Musk.
Beneath the exchange lies an older contest over how satellite spectrum should be shared, one that pitted Musk against Mukesh Ambani and Sunil Mittal. Those rivals later struck separate deals in 2025 to distribute Starlink devices. The stakes are large, with Deloitte projecting a $1.9 billion Indian satellite broadband market by 2030, and Washington has linked Starlink's access to trade discussions as New Delhi and Washington work toward an agreement. For now, the open questions are whether security reviews and spectrum allocation reach a conclusion, and how much of that outcome will be shaped by the trade table.
At the India Mobile Congress 2026, Lauren Dreyer, SpaceX's vice-president of Starlink Business Operations, told attendees that the company was ready to start operating in India and was waiting on regulatory approvals. That remark reopened a dispute that has run for years, and it drew a response from the country's biggest telecom player.
Elon Musk followed Dreyer's comments with a post on X expressing frustration at the delay. He renewed his accusation that the Indian government favours established telecom operators over competing players, and questioned whether Starlink is being treated fairly in one of the world's largest telecom markets.
Reliance Industries answered by saying that India's rules must apply equally to domestic and international companies. It said its own growth had been supported by a market that welcomes investment and innovation, provided businesses operate within the law. Then it made a pointed observation: "Jio's own satellite services await clearances." In Reliance's framing, the same regulatory process covers every applicant, whether Indian or foreign.
The company also defended its record on competition. Jio entered the crowded Indian telecom market in 2016 with no existing customers, Reliance noted, and has since attracted more than 530 million subscribers while helping make digital connectivity more affordable. Reliance said it welcomes competition in satellite communications, Starlink included, but insisted that every operator comply with Indian laws and policies.
India's telecommunications ministry also rejected the allegation of discrimination. It said the three satellite communication ventures were at broadly similar stages of the regulatory process, with security assessments still under way. The ministry did not name the companies or refer directly to Musk. It called claims of unfair treatment "baseless and misconceived" and said the process was being applied consistently.
For Starlink, the wait has now run across four years. Security requirements and the allocation of spectrum are among the issues surrounding its proposed entry.
The argument also revives an earlier contest between Musk, Reliance chairman Mukesh Ambani and Bharti Enterprises founder Sunil Mittal over how satellite spectrum should be allocated in India. The companies later reached separate agreements in 2025 to distribute Starlink devices in the country.
The stakes are considerable. Deloitte estimates India's satellite broadband market could be worth $1.9 billion by 2030. There is a diplomatic layer too: Washington has raised Starlink's market access in trade discussions with countries facing US tariffs, while New Delhi and Washington continue working toward a trade agreement.
What to watch is whether the security assessments and spectrum allocation reach a conclusion, and how Starlink's access to the Indian market figures in the trade talks between the two governments.
Citas Notables
Jio's own satellite services await clearances.— Reliance Industries
Claims of unfair treatment are baseless and misconceived.— India's telecommunications ministry (paraphrased)
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