SpaceX founder Elon Musk has accused vested interests of blocking the launch of his company's satellite internet service, Starlink, to protect their hold over consumers, calling it "a crime against the people of India"
The country's telecom and internet service market is dominated by billionaire Mukesh Ambani's Jio and Sunil Mittal's Airtel, with both companies together holding over 80% market share.
"We are being blocked by certain oligarchs in order to maintain their monopolistic chokehold on the Indian people," Musk said Wednesday stateside in a post on X, without naming his rivals. "You can guess who they are," he said.
In a second post, Musk said Starlink in India would "enable high-speed, affordable internet connectivity for those who cannot afford current prices." At present, Reliance Industries-owned Jio is the country's largest telecom operator and has been widely credited for slashing high-speed mobile data costs in the country since the company's launch a decade ago.
In June, Jio Platforms announced plans to roll out low-orbit satellite communications in the country. Akash Ambani, the son of Mukesh, told shareholders that the company is partnering with leading global constellation providers to lease satellite capacity as it looks for a quick rollout of satellite connectivity.