Elon Musk has pledged to make Starlink’s satellite internet service affordable in India as his company prepares to compete with Reliance Jio, the country’s leading telecom operator, ahead of its parent company’s planned record-breaking initial public offering.
Musk said on Saturday, October 10, that SpaceX would need to offer competitive prices to attract Indian customers, where mobile data costs approximately $0.08 per gigabyte, among the lowest rates globally. However, he did not disclose Starlink’s proposed subscription prices for the Indian market.
He argued that competition would give consumers more choices, even if it reduced the profits of Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani, whose Jio business has built a substantial customer base through low-cost internet services.
The comments came days before Jio Platforms is expected to launch an initial public offering targeting a valuation of $106 billion. The offering is expected to become India’s largest-ever IPO.
Musk has also accused the Indian government and Ambani of delaying Starlink’s entry to protect Jio’s market position. He has provided no evidence to substantiate the allegations.
The Indian government has rejected claims of preferential treatment, maintaining that Starlink and competing satellite internet ventures are undergoing the same security clearance process.
Although Starlink has secured an operating licence, it still requires outstanding regulatory approvals and spectrum allocation before launching commercial services.
The entry of Starlink could intensify competition in India’s telecommunications market, particularly in areas where conventional broadband infrastructure remains limited.
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