Reliance says Starlink welcome, but all players must follow Indian laws

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The Economic Times daily newspaper is available online now. Read Today's Paper Reliance says Starlink welcome, but all players must follow Indian lawsET BureauLast Updated: Oct 16, 2026, 10:08:00 AM ISTSynopsis

Reliance Industries stated that it welcomes competition, including Starlink, in the satellite communications sector. The company emphasized the need for all players to comply with Indian laws and regulations. Reliance noted that its satellite services are also awaiting necessary approvals. Elon Musk raised concerns about competition being hindered by oligarchs in India. The communications ministry reaffirmed the requirement for security compliance prior to spectrum assignment.

Mumbai: Reliance Industries does not fear competition from satellite communications providers, but all players including Starlink must comply with Indian laws, the company said.

In a statement responding to “recent remarks about Reliance and the Indian market”, the company said its own satellite services were awaiting clearances. “That openness rests on the rule of law. As the Government of India has stated, it applies the same process to every applicant, Indian or foreign. Jio's own satellite services await clearances,” Reliance said in a statement on Friday.

The company said India’s openness to investment and innovation, both domestic and international, had supported the growth of Indian enterprises, including Reliance. “At Reliance, we have never feared competition. We see it as the truest test of who serves the customer best,” it said.

Reliance pointed to Jio’s entry into India’s crowded telecom market in 2016, saying the company had started without a single customer and built a base of more than 530 million customers over ten years. It said Jio had given Indians some of the world’s best digital infrastructure and most affordable data.

The statement comes days after SpaceX owner Elon Musk alleged that “unnamed oligarchs” were blocking Starlink’s entry in India. In a scathing post on X last week, Musk wrote: “Unfortunately, we are being blocked by certain oligarchs in order to maintain their monopolistic chokehold on the Indian people. You can guess who they are … This is a crime against the people of India!”

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Later, the communications ministry also stated that operators must demonstrate compliance with security conditions before moving to the next step of seeking spectrum assignment.

OneWeb India Communications, Jio Satellite Communications and Starlink Satellite Communications are the three companies granted unified licences with authorisation for Global Mobile Personal Communication by Satellite services.

Bharti Airtel chairman Sunil Bharti Mittal has also said that even his satcom venture, Eutelsat OneWeb, is awaiting approvals to start operations.

Reliance, on Friday, explicitly welcomed Starlink’s participation in satellite communications, while calling for compliance with the country’s regulatory framework.

“We welcome competition in satellite communications, including Starlink. Every player, Jio included, must serve the people of India and abide by the laws and policies of the land,” Reliance said.
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