'Dear Prime Minister Ambani' : Musk’s sarcastic letter over Starlink’s India delay
Tesla and SpaceX chief Elon Musk on Friday, October 9, posted a sarcastic open letter on X addressed to “Prime Minister Ambani.” He asked industrialist Mukesh Ambani to let Starlink compete in India. The post came amid a widening row over the delay in Starlink’s launch in the country.
“Please accept my humble apologies for not realizing that you are the real boss of India,” Musk wrote. He accused Ambani of wanting to maintain a “monopolistic exploitation of the great people of India.” He then asked, “would you nonetheless consider allowing Starlink to compete?”
Musk argued that many parts of India have no internet access. This, he said, denies children an education and denies small businesses a chance to reach a global market. He added that Starlink had proven essential for saving lives during natural disasters when other communication systems failed.
The letter followed a three-day run of posts by Musk on the issue.
On Wednesday, October 7, a Starlink executive told the India Mobile Congress that the company was ready to serve India. Musk then said Starlink was being blocked by “certain oligarchs.” The government rebutted this. It said all three satellite licensees were at the same regulatory stage.
On Thursday, October 8, Musk asked outright whether Ambani was “the real boss of India.” He also said Starlink had spent five years complying with Indian laws and regulations and was still waiting for final approvals to begin commercial services.
The government has maintained that Starlink and other satellite internet operators must meet India’s security and regulatory requirements before they launch services.
The row has an awkward backdrop. Reliance Jio, Ambani’s telecom arm, had earlier entered into a partnership with SpaceX to bring Starlink’s services to Indian users. The rollout was always subject to SpaceX securing government approval.
Reactions online were divided. Some users backed Musk and questioned the delay. Others criticised him for targeting Indian businesses and questioned his claims. Neither Ambani nor Reliance has responded publicly so far.
