Reliance Ready for Competition..but Firm on Compliance with Indian Laws

Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) said on Friday that it welcomes competition in India’s satellite communications sector, including from Elon Musk’s Starlink. However, the company stressed that every operator, whether Indian or foreign, must comply with the country’s laws and regulations. Responding for the first time to Musk’s recent criticism of Reliance chairman Mukesh Ambani, the company said it has never feared competition and believes it is the best test of who can provide better services to consumers.

Reliance highlighted Jio’s growth, stating that it entered the telecom market in 2016 without a single customer and has since earned the trust of more than 530 million subscribers. Rejecting allegations that influential business groups were obstructing Starlink’s licence, the company pointed out that Jio is also awaiting approvals for its own satellite services. It added that the government follows the same regulatory approval process for all applicants, regardless of whether they are domestic or foreign companies.

Meanwhile, Bharti Airtel chairman Sunil Mittal said his company was five years ahead of Musk in the race for approvals. The controversy began after Musk alleged that powerful business interests in India were trying to block Starlink’s entry to protect their dominance. He also made pointed remarks about Ambani’s influence. The Union government rejected the allegations, clarifying that Starlink, Jio Satellite and Airtel’s OneWeb are currently at the same regulatory stage, with final allocations to follow once approval is received from the Ministry of Home Affairs.