Elon Musk has renewed his one-sided feud with Mukesh Ambani, mocking India's richest telecom mogul in a viral post on X that sarcastically suggested the Reliance chairman might as well be running the country.

The SpaceX billionaire believes Ambani is protecting his business interests by keeping Starlink out of India's internet market — an accusation the Indian government rejects, with officials insisting that no company is receiving special treatment. Ambani himself has remained noticeably quiet throughout the increasingly public dispute.

The jab is the latest salvo in a standoff over why Starlink, despite distribution agreements and an operating license secured more than a year ago, still cannot be subscribed to in India — and it has drawn responses from India's telecommunications minister and from the opposition alike. The dispute, in other words, is not about Starlink's right to operate — the license already exists — but about which final approvals remain pending in New Delhi.

"Dear Prime Minister Ambani, Please accept my humble apologies for not realizing that you are the real boss of India. Naturally, you would prefer to maintain your monopolistic exploitation of the great people of India, but would you nonetheless consider allowing Starlink to compete?" Musk wrote in the post on X.

Musk argued that several regions of India, as well as parts of other countries, still have no internet connection, depriving children of the opportunity to receive an education and smaller firms of the chance to sell their products in international markets. He said satellite internet could connect underdeveloped regions, allow children to study online, and give small companies access to customers abroad, including through Starlink's emergency communication services.

"Starlink would change their lives for the better," he added.

India rejects monopoly accusations as political drama grows

The remarks drew a swift response in New Delhi. India's telecommunications minister Jyotiraditya Scindia dismissed the idea at a Friday press conference, rebuffing the notion that rich businessmen decide which companies can join the country's telecommunications market.

"India does not allow a monopoly in any sector," Scindia said.

Starlink, the satellite internet service operated by SpaceX, has spent four years building its commercial operations in India, a market of more than a billion internet users and one of the largest in the world, presenting immense business potential. The market is currently dominated by Reliance Jio, controlled by Ambani, and Bharti Airtel, owned by Sunil Mittal.

SpaceX (SPCX) had already finalized distribution deals with both firms in March 2025, and Starlink received its license to operate in India in July 2025. The arrangements place the incumbents on both sides of the contest: distribution partners for Starlink, while Jio readies a competing constellation of its own. Yet customers still cannot subscribe. The remaining barriers relate to security clearance and the allocation of radio frequency spectrum. According to Bloomberg, New Delhi held back approvals due to worries over potentially uncontrolled Starlink terminals.

Indian officials rejected claims made by the company on Thursday, arguing that all three licensed satellite service providers face similar scrutiny.

The controversy quickly attracted the attention of opposition leader Rahul Gandhi, who has continuously attacked India's government over its closeness to the country's industrialists. Replying to Musk, he said: "Wait till you meet the other one" — an apparent reference to billionaire Gautam Adani, another businessman Gandhi frequently criticizes.

"This is indeed troubling," Musk responded.

Ambani has satellite plans of his own, and Tesla isn't exactly thriving either

While Starlink awaits its final clearances, Ambani's group is developing satellite plans of its own. In June, Akash Ambani, Mukesh's son and managing director at Jio Platforms, Reliance's digital services subsidiary, announced plans for a low Earth orbit system by Jio. According to local sources, the project envisions a constellation of about 1,600 satellites and 23 ground stations.

Starlink currently operates around 11,000 satellites covering more than 170 countries and territories — the largest satellite constellation in orbit. The comparison frames the two threads to watch: how quickly Jio's constellation advances from announcement toward deployment, and how soon New Delhi settles Starlink's outstanding clearances.

"India needs its own indigenous stack of technologies," Akash Ambani said Thursday during an interview with Reliance-owned Moneycontrol, emphasizing domestic technology development and affordable services.

Starlink is not Musk's only Indian headache. Tesla (TSLA) has sold just over 1,000 vehicles since entering the country in 2025. Monthly deliveries ranged between 29 and 69 units from September 2025 through June 2026.

Sales finally improved in July, reaching 116 vehicles, compared with June's 38. August recorded 117 deliveries, followed by a record 291 in September. Between July and October 2, Tesla delivered 554 Model Ys, accounting for approximately 54% of its cumulative Indian sales. For Musk, the figures and Starlink's stalled entry tell a similar story: India's scale remains the draw, while results on the ground have been slower to materialize.