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SpaceX CEO Elon Musk responded to Reliance Industries’ statement on Starlink’s proposed India entry. Replying to Reliance’s statement on X, formerly known as Twitter, Musk wrote: ‘Much appreciated’
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk responded to Reliance Industries’ statement on Starlink’s proposed India entry. Replying to Reliance’s statement on X, formerly known as Twitter, Musk wrote: “Much appreciated”. In the post, Reliance made it clear that its own satellite communication services were also awaiting government clearances.
The latest exchange came after Musk’s allegation that Starlink’s entry into India was being held up. In the statement, Reliance said that the government applies the same process to every applicant, Indian or foreign, and that Jio’s satellite services were awaiting clearances as well.
“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.
The company maintained that it welcomes competition in satellite communications, including Starlink, adding that every player must serve Indian consumers and comply with the country’s laws and policies. “At Reliance, we have never feared competition. We see it as the truest test of who serves the customer best,” the statement read.
What Musk said
Starlink noted that it had worked closely with the Indian regulators, industry and operators for more than five years and had built infrastructure within the country to serve Indian traffic.
More from Tech“We have worked closely with regulators, industry and operators in India for 5+ years, and built a network of dedicated systems, gateways, and other infrastructure all in-country to exclusively serve Indian traffic safely and securely — and all with the requisite government approvals,” Starlink said.
The company maintained that it is ready for its operation in India. “Starlink is ready to connect India with high-speed internet,” it added. The exchange is coming at a time when the three satellite players are awaiting approvals required before satellite internet services can begin commercial operations in India.
Starlink, Reliance Jio’s satellite communications arm and Bharti-backed Eutelsat OneWeb are among the players with satellite communications licences, but further regulatory and security-related requirements remain.
