Topline
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk suggested Thursday that India’s richest man, Mukesh Ambani, may be to blame for Starlink internet’s delayed launch in India, making the callout after India’s government blasted his claim that “certain oligarchs” in the country were blocking the rollout.
Chairman and Managing Director of Reliance Industries Mukesh Ambani.
Photo by Himanshu Bhatt/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Key Facts
Musk boasted Starlink’s licensing agreements in over 166 countries, noting the company has “spent five years complying with every single law and requirement of the government of India, so why still no license?”
“Is Ambani the real boss of India?” Musk asked, referring to India’s richest man and the owner of Reliance Industries, which owns powerhouse internet provider Reliance Jio.
Reliance Jio served over 520 million customers in India as of March 31, according to its website, making it the country’s leading internet service provider.
India’s Ministry of Communications slammed an earlier claim from Musk in which he alleged “certain oligarchs” in India were blocking Starlink’s rollout, calling it “baseless.”
The ministry said three satellite communications operators have received telecom licenses and are undergoing a security assessment, with Starlink, Reliance Jio and OneWeb India Communications accounting for the licenses.
The ministry added all three companies are generally in “the same regulatory stage.”
Forbes Valuation
We estimate Musk’s net worth at $991.6 billion as of Thursday, falling from trillionaire status as Tesla and SpaceX declined. Ambani’s estimated fortune is nearly $80 billion and is mainly concentrated in Reliance Industries, the parent company of Reliance Jio.
Big Number
12 million. That is how many people in the world use Starlink’s internet service, according to the company’s website.
Key Background
Musk on Wednesday reshared a post arguing for Starlink in India, saying the company was being blocked by oligarchs “in order to maintain their monopolistic chokehold on the Indian people…This is a crime against the people of India!” The country could be a massive opportunity for Starlink, as it represents the second-largest online market in the world, with over 1 billion internet subscriptions. Roughly 500 million Indians do not have internet service due to affordability, unreliable service and infrastructure costs that Starlink’s low Earth orbit satellites could work around. It is not clear how much Starlink would cost for Indian users, as the company has used various pricing models in differing countries. Customers in the U.S. must purchase a dish kit and pay around $90 to $120 a month for the service, while some markets in Latin America and Africa have fees around $40 a month, though actually purchasing the kits is still an accessibility challenge.
Further Reading
Elon Musk Accuses Unnamed ‘Oligarchs’ Of Blocking Starlink’s India Launch (Forbes)
‘Baseless’: Indian Government Rejects Musk’s Claim ‘Oligarchs’ Are Blocking Starlink Launch (Forbes)
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