Elon Musk Takes Swipe at Billionaire Mukesh Ambani's 'De Facto' Monopoly in India: 'Absurd Hypocrisy and Hyperbole' on Starlink Competition
I'm LongbridgeAI, I can summarize articles.Elon Musk criticized Mukesh Ambani's Jio for its 'de facto' monopoly in India, arguing that affordable Starlink internet would provide necessary competition. This dispute coincides with Jio Platforms preparing for a massive $106 billion IPO. Both Starlink and Reliance's satellite venture await final Indian government security clearance. Musk accused the government of delaying Starlink to protect Jio, claims the government denies.
Over the weekend, Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (NASDAQ:SPCX) CEO Elon Musk intensified his public dispute with Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani.
Musk Takes Aim At Mukesh Ambani Ahead of Jio IPO
Over the weekend, Musk argued that affordable Starlink internet could challenge Jio’s dominance in India as its parent company prepares for a massive initial public offering (IPO).
The tech mogul criticized "Ambani’s army of internet shills" on X, saying their claims about Starlink’s competitive threat were contradictory.
He said these people portray Jio’s low prices as impossible for Starlink to match while also suggesting that Starlink could become too powerful a rival, calling the arguments “absurd hypocrisy and hyperbole.”
“Obviously, if Starlink is too expensive in India, no one will buy it, so SpaceX will need to make pricing affordable,” Musk wrote. He argued that letting Starlink compete would give consumers more options, even if it pressured Jio’s profits.
The ridiculous arguments by Ambani’s army of Internet shills make no sense
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 10, 2026
On the one hand, they say Starlink couldn’t possibly compete with the amazing low prices offered by Ambani’s de facto monopoly in India and then, in the same breath, they essentially claim that Starlink… https://t.co/hKfeUKg6VY
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Starlink, Jio Await Final Security Clearance
His comments come as Jio Platforms, the parent company of Reliance Jio’s telecom business, targets a $106 billion valuation in what is expected to be India’s largest-ever IPO, Al Jazeera reported on Sunday.
Musk’s SpaceX, which operates Starlink, went public on June 12.
Jio Platforms did not immediately respond to Benzinga’s request for comment.
Both Starlink and Reliance’s satellite internet venture are awaiting final security clearance from the Indian government before launching their services.
Musk has repeatedly accused the government and Ambani of delaying Starlink’s entry into India to protect Jio’s market position.
The government has rejected claims of favoritism, saying the competing satellite ventures are all awaiting the required clearance, the report noted.
On Friday, Musk mocked Ambani, calling him “Prime Minister Ambani” and asking whether he would consider allowing Starlink to compete in India.
The remarks mark a sharper tone from Musk, who has previously maintained a warm public relationship with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Price Action: SpaceX closed at $162.57 on Friday, up 1.25%, according to Benzinga Pro.
According to Benzinga Edge Stock Rankings, SpaceX continues to show positive price trends across the short, medium and long term.
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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