Elon Musk has intensified his public dispute with Indian industrialist Mukesh Ambani, sharing media reports about alleged links between Reliance-backed companies, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and political donations.
On Saturday, Musk shared screenshots of a 2022 Al Jazeera report titled How a Reliance-funded firm boosts BJP’s campaigns on Facebook, alongside an archived 2024 report by The Indian Express concerning Qwik Supply, a Reliance-linked company.
The latter report stated that Qwik Supply donated ₹385 crore to the BJP and ₹25 crore to the Shiv Sena through electoral bonds. Musk’s posts came amid his growing criticism of delays in the commercial launch of Starlink satellite internet services in India. <Cite refs={[“turn684191search0″,”turn684191search2”]}/>
Musk mocks Ambani over Starlink delays
Before sharing the reports, Musk had sarcastically addressed Ambani as “Prime Minister Ambani” on his social media platform X, questioning whether the Reliance Industries chairman would allow Starlink to compete in the Indian market.
Musk accused Ambani of seeking to protect his market position and argued that Starlink could improve internet access in underserved parts of India.
He said satellite broadband could provide educational opportunities for children in areas without reliable internet access and help small businesses reach customers in international markets.
Musk has repeatedly questioned why Starlink has yet to begin commercial operations in India despite receiving key regulatory approval. However, he has not provided evidence that Ambani personally intervened to obstruct the launch. <Cite refs={[“turn684191search4″,”turn684191search6”]}/>
India rejects allegations of monopoly
The dispute escalated after Indian Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia rejected suggestions that the country was allowing monopolies in its telecommunications sector.
“India does not allow a monopoly in any sector,” Scindia said during a media briefing on Friday.
The minister’s remarks followed Musk’s allegations that powerful business interests were seeking to prevent Starlink from entering the market to protect existing operators.
India’s telecommunications market is dominated by Reliance Jio, owned by Ambani’s Reliance Industries, and Bharti Airtel, led by Sunil Bharti Mittal. SpaceX, Musk’s aerospace company, is seeking to establish Starlink in a market with more than a billion internet users.
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The government has said that Starlink and two other licensed satellite operators are at broadly the same stage of the regulatory process. All must satisfy security requirements and obtain spectrum allocation before launching commercial services.
Officials have described claims of an unfair or discriminatory approval process as baseless. <Cite refs={[“turn684191news12″,”turn684191search6”]}/>
Starlink awaits final regulatory clearances
Although Starlink has secured a licence to operate in India, it still needs to meet outstanding security compliance conditions and receive a spectrum assignment before it can launch commercially.
The prolonged process has fuelled an increasingly public debate over competition, regulatory transparency and the influence of major business groups in India’s telecommunications industry.
Musk has argued that Starlink could expand connectivity in remote areas, while established operators already have extensive networks and are also pursuing satellite communication services.
Reliance Jio had not responded to a request for comment on Musk’s earlier remarks, according to the supplied report.
The latest exchange adds another dimension to the dispute, bringing reports about political donations and online campaigning into a confrontation that began over Starlink’s delayed market entry. The allegations highlighted in Musk’s posts remain distinct from the regulatory question, and the available information does not establish that political donations caused the delay in Starlink’s launch.
