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Elon Musk has pledged to make Starlink’s satellite internet service affordable in India, intensifying competition with billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Jio ahead of a major initial public offering (IPO) by Jio’s parent company, Reliance Industries.
Jio Platforms is targeting a valuation of $106 billion for the planned IPO, which could become the largest in India’s history. Both Starlink, owned by Musk’s SpaceX, and Jio’s satellite internet venture are awaiting final security clearances from the Indian government.
Affordable data has been central to Jio’s success in India, where mobile internet costs around 7.74 rupees per gigabyte, among the lowest rates globally. Musk has used a similar low-cost strategy to challenge telecom operators in markets such as Kenya. SpaceX is also planning to enter the mobile carrier market in the United States.
In a post on his social media platform X on Saturday, Musk said Starlink would have to offer competitive prices in India to attract customers.
“Obviously, if Starlink is too expensive in India, no one will buy it,” he wrote, adding that SpaceX would therefore have to make the service affordable.
Taking a swipe at Ambani, Musk addressed him as “Prime Minister Ambani” and questioned whether he would allow Starlink to compete in the Indian market. Musk argued that competition would give ordinary Indians more choices, even if it reduced Ambani’s profits.
Musk had earlier accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government and Ambani of obstructing Starlink’s entry to protect Jio’s market position.
The Indian government has strongly denied allegations of preferential treatment, saying three satellite internet ventures awaiting licences, including Starlink and Jio, are undergoing the required security clearance process.
The remarks mark a fresh escalation in the rivalry between the two billionaires over India’s lucrative telecommunications market. Reliance has yet to issue an official response to Musk’s comments.
Source: Al Jazeera