Reliance welcomes Starlink competition, says Jio also awaits satellite clearances

Reliance Industries said on Friday that it welcomes Starlink’s entry into India’s satellite communications market, while stressing that every operator must meet Indian legal requirements. The company said its own Jio satellite service is also awaiting regulatory clearances.

The statement follows allegations by SpaceX chief executive Elon Musk that established business interests were obstructing Starlink’s launch. Reliance said the regulatory process applies equally to Indian and foreign applicants and maintained that it had always been willing to compete.

The company pointed to Jio’s entry into mobile telecommunications in 2016, saying it began without customers and had since grown to serve more than 530 million. Those figures and its claims about affordable data were presented by Reliance as part of its response to criticism of its market position.

Musk has argued that satellite competition would expand consumer choice in India. He has also questioned the obstacles facing Starlink and accused existing operators of benefiting from the current market structure.

The Ministry of Communications has rejected the suggestion that domestic companies receive preferential treatment. It said Starlink, Eutelsat OneWeb and Jio Satellite Communications were at broadly comparable stages, with security approvals and spectrum allocation still required before commercial launches.

Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said three companies were awaiting final commercial licence approval. He also said a decision on the pricing framework for satellite services was close and that licensed operators would have to satisfy security conditions.

Bharti Enterprises chairman Sunil Bharti Mittal has said OneWeb applied earlier and is further along in the approval process. Starlink vice-president Lauren Dreyer, meanwhile, said the company had established operations in India and was ready to begin services once permission was granted.