India's Reliance Industries rejected on Oct. 16 suggestions it was blocking Elon Musk's Starlink satellite internet service in the country, saying it welcomed competition and had "never feared" rivals.
The statement came days after the tech billionaire accused "oligarchs" of preventing Starlink's rollout in India to protect their monopolies, reigniting a long-running debate over access to the country's lucrative telecommunications market.
"We see it as the truest test of who serves the customer best," Reliance said in a statement. "We welcome competition in satellite communications, including Starlink."
The potential launch of Starlink has seen fierce debate in India over issues ranging from pricing to spectrum allocation.
In March 2025, telecom operator Jio Platforms, Reliance's digital arm, signed an agreement with Musk's SpaceX to offer Starlink services to its customers.
However, Starlink has yet to launch, with Jio's own satellite service still awaiting regulatory clearance.
Earlier this month, Musk wrote on X that Starlink was being "blocked" in India.
"Unfortunately, we are being blocked by certain oligarchs in order to maintain their monopolistic chokehold on the Indian people," Musk said.
"You can guess who they are... This is a crime against the people of India!"
In a subsequent post, Musk addressed Ambani directly, calling him "prime minister" in an apparent jibe at his perceived closeness with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The comments also follow Jio's announcement this week that it plans to raise $3.2 billion in what would be India's largest initial public offering, after unveiling pricing details ahead of next week's share sale.
