Musk Pledges Low-Cost Starlink in India Ahead of Jio IPO, Escalating Feud with Ambani

Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk has promised that SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet service will be priced affordably in India as he ramps up public criticism of rival tycoon Mukesh Ambani. The comments arrive just days before Ambani’s Reliance Jio Platforms is set to launch India’s largest-ever initial public offering (IPO).

Jio Platforms, the parent company of the telecom giant, is targeting a valuation of $106 billion for the offering. Like Starlink, Jio’s own satellite venture is currently awaiting final security clearance from Indian authorities.

Affordable data has long been the cornerstone of Jio’s success in India, a strategy Musk previously employed in markets such as Kenya to disrupt local telecom operators. SpaceX is now planning to enter the mobile carrier market directly, beginning with the United States. However, Musk did not outline specific pricing for India, where mobile data costs approximately 7.74 rupees ($0.08) per gigabyte—one of the lowest rates globally.

“Obviously, if Starlink is too expensive in India, no one will buy it, so SpaceX will need to make pricing affordable,” Musk wrote on his social media platform X on Saturday. He added that increased competition would benefit Indian consumers by providing more choices, noting that while Ambani’s profits might decrease, the tycoon would not go out of business.

Musk’s remarks continue a series of posts in which he accused the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi of delaying Starlink’s entry into one of the world’s largest internet markets to protect Jio. This marks a significant shift in tone for Musk, who has historically maintained a warm public relationship with Modi. The Indian government has denied any bias, stating that three satellite ventures, including Starlink and Jio, are all pending final security approvals.

Late Friday, Musk directly taunted Ambani, referring to him as “Prime Minister Ambani” and asking whether he would allow Starlink to compete. Reliance has not yet responded to Musk’s allegations.