‘We welcome competition in satellite communications, including Starlink,’ RIL says amid Starlink row

As the battle for India’s satellite internet market intensifies, Reliance Industries, the parent of the country’s largest mobile operator, Jio, has said it welcomes competition in satellite communications, emphasising that all players must comply with India’s laws and regulatory framework.

In a statement issued amid the escalating row over Starlink’s entry into India, the Mukesh Ambani-led conglomerate said the country’s investment environment was built on openness, innovation and the rule of law. It also cited Jio’s journey in the highly competitive telecom sector to underline its position that competition is essential to delivering better services to consumers.

“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,” RIL said in a statement on Thursday.

The company’s statement comes after Elon Musk, the world’s richest person and owner of SpaceX and Tesla, alleged that powerful business interests, including Reliance, were obstructing Starlink’s entry into India. Starlink, SpaceX’s satellite internet business, is awaiting the remaining regulatory and security clearances required to commence commercial operations in the country.

‘Openness rests on the rule of law’

Defending the need for a transparent regulatory process, Reliance said: “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.”

The conglomerate also invoked Jio’s entry into the telecom market in 2016, when the company began operations as a new entrant in a crowded sector.

“Jio itself entered India's crowded telecom market in 2016 as the newest player, with not a single customer. In just ten years, Jio has earned the trust of over 530 million customers and given Indians some of the best digital infrastructure and most affordable data in the world,” the company said.

“At Reliance, we have never feared competition. We see it as the truest test of who serves the customer best,” it added.

Satellite operators await final clearances

Starlink is not the only company awaiting the go-ahead. Jio Satellite Communications, backed by Reliance Industries, and Eutelsat OneWeb, backed by Bharti Airtel, have also received unified licences authorising Global Mobile Personal Communication by Satellite (GMPCS) services.

However, holding a licence does not automatically permit commercial operations. The three operators must complete the remaining security assessments and regulatory requirements before satellite broadband services can be launched. Spectrum assignment for commercial services can proceed after the required clearances.

The government has rejected allegations that Starlink is being treated unfairly, maintaining that the same regulatory framework applies to all licensed operators. The telecom ministry has described the framework as “fair and non-discriminatory” and called claims of selective treatment “baseless and misconceived”. It has also said security assessments are under way for all three licensees.

Last week, Union Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia also rejected Musk’s allegations that powerful business interests were holding back Starlink’s launch in India. Speaking on the sidelines of the India Mobile Congress (IMC) 2026, Scindia said all satellite communications companies must meet the same regulatory and security requirements.

“There is a lot of conversation about one specific company, but three companies have got satcom licences,” Scindia said during a media interaction at the event.

He noted that Starlink, Jio Satellite Communications and Eutelsat OneWeb had already secured licences, while Amazon was also interested in obtaining one. However, he stressed that a licence was only one step in the process and did not constitute automatic approval to begin commercial services.

Bharti Enterprises Chairman Sunil Bharti Mittal has also pushed back against the suggestion that Indian business interests were preventing Starlink from entering the country. Pointing to the regulatory position of Eutelsat OneWeb, in which Bharti Airtel has a stake, Mittal said his own satellite communications venture was waiting for approvals as well.

“We’re waiting for our own approvals,” Mittal said on the sidelines of IMC 2026 last week.