Reliance responds to Starlink dispute, says it is not afraid:Said: Rules are equal for everyone in India; our satellite network is also awaiting approval

Amid the ongoing controversy over satellite internet service Starlink’s entry into India, Reliance Industries said on Friday that it was not afraid of competition. In a post on X, the company said that true competition is what shows who is providing the best service. The company issued the statement after Elon Musk accused Indian telecom companies of trying to block Starlink’s entry into the country. Musk vs Ambani… Understanding the entire controversy Elon Musk has been expressing his displeasure over the delay in Starlink’s launch in India for the past few days. He has been blaming Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani for the delay and has been posting about him on social media. Recently, in one of his posts, Musk took a swipe at Mukesh Ambani by referring to him as “Prime Minister Ambani”. In the post, he described Ambani as India’s real boss. Their argument was that Starlink could bring connectivity to areas in India without internet access. This would give disadvantaged children in remote areas access to education and enable small business owners to reach the global market. Following Musk’s post, some people said that India already has the world’s cheapest and fastest internet. Here, 60GB of data is available for just ₹300-400 a month, and it works exceptionally well even in remote villages. In such a situation, it is fair to ask who would buy Starlink in India when it charges around ₹2,200 a month in other countries. Responding to this argument, Musk said that on the one hand, they claim Starlink will not be able to compete with Jio’s cheap plans in India. On the other hand, they also say that Starlink’s arrival will increase competition. Both statements cannot be true at the same time. The truth is that increased competition in the market always benefits ordinary customers. Starlink’s arrival may slightly reduce Ambani’s company’s profits, but it will not shut down its business. Clearly, if Starlink is too expensive in India, no one will buy it. Therefore, SpaceX will have to keep its prices affordable to survive here. Government’s response – Monopoly will not be allowed in India At the ‘India Mobile Congress 2026’, Union Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia made the government’s position clear. He said that monopolies would not be allowed in any sector in India. He said three satellite internet companies had received licences in the country. One. Reliance Jio Satcom 2. Bharti Airtel-backed Eutelsat OneWeb 3. Elon Musk’s Starlink However, the government also clarified that the security clearances for all these companies, which have received licences, are still pending. In addition, the pricing framework for satellite spectrum is also being finalised. These services will be able to start in India only after all the necessary conditions have been met. Starlink devices found during drug smuggling investigation in Andaman and Manipur violence In 2024, Indian agencies recovered Starlink devices during an investigation into drug smuggling in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and during an Army operation in Manipur. Elon Musk had said at the time that Starlink’s service had never been active in India. He said the devices recovered could not have used Starlink’s satellite network. The Starlink kit includes a Starlink dish, a Wi-Fi router, power supply cables and a mounting tripod. The dish is placed under an unobstructed sky to receive high-speed internet. The Starlink app is available on iOS and Android and handles everything from setup to monitoring. Starlink provides internet through satellites in low Earth orbit Starlink provides internet services by deploying its satellites in low Earth orbit. Through this service, internet is available even in remote areas where mobile networks or broadband are not available. The company has been trying to launch its services in India since 2021.