Musk promises affordable Starlink prices in India as Ambani feud grows
Elon Musk says SpaceX will keep Starlink's internet prices low in India, adding heat to his public fight with Mukesh Ambani, whose Reliance Jio sells some of the cheapest mobile data in the world. Musk called the claims of Ambani's online fans "absurd hypocrisy." His posts come days before Jio goes public in India's biggest stock sale ever.
Elon Musk says SpaceX will keep Starlink's prices low in India, stepping up his public fight with Mukesh Ambani just days before Ambani's Jio Platforms goes public in India's largest-ever IPO.
"If Starlink is too expensive in India, no one will buy it, so SpaceX will need to make pricing affordable," Musk wrote on X this weekend. "Ambani's profits will be lower, but he is not going out of business."
Musk also took aim at Ambani's online supporters. He said they claim Starlink can't match Jio's low prices, then say in the same breath that it would be too strong a rival. "This is absurd hypocrisy and hyperbole," he wrote.
It is the latest in a string of posts this week. Late Friday, Musk called Ambani "Prime Minister Ambani" and asked whether he would "consider allowing Starlink to compete." On Saturday he shared old news reports about a Reliance-linked firm's political donations to India's ruling party, PTI reported. Musk has accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government and Ambani of slowing Starlink's launch to protect Jio, Reuters reported.
The government denies any bias. Officials say the approval process is "fair and non-discriminatory" and call claims of unfair treatment "baseless," PTI reported. On Friday, Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said India does not allow a monopoly in any sector. He said three satellite services have licenses: Starlink, Jio's own satellite arm and Eutelsat OneWeb. All three still need final security clearance before they can launch, and a pricing plan for satellite airwaves is still being finished, The Times of India reported. Reliance has not responded.
Cheap data is what built Jio. Mobile data in India costs about 8 cents per gigabyte, one of the lowest prices in the world, Reuters reported. Musk has used low prices to shake up phone companies in other markets, such as Kenya. Jio Platforms is aiming for a $106 billion value in its stock sale. The feud marks a sharp turn for Musk, who has long had a warm public bond with Modi.
What we know: Musk says Starlink will be priced affordably in India, and the government says every licensed satellite service is still waiting on the same security clearance.
What we don't: What Starlink will charge, when it can launch, and how Reliance will respond.
Where outlets agree Reuters and The Times of India both quote Musk saying Starlink will need affordable prices in India and Ambani won't go out of business.
Where they differ The outlets cited here report the same key facts so far.