Elon Musk has questioned the influence of India’s major business interests as his satellite internet company, Starlink, awaits regulatory approval to begin operations in the country.

“Is Ambani the real boss of India?” the SpaceX founder asked in a post on X, drawing attention to the dispute surrounding Starlink’s proposed entry into a market dominated by established telecommunications operators.

The remarks prompted a response from Indian opposition leader Rahul Gandhi, who appeared to refer to Gautam Adani, another prominent businessman with close ties to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Musk subsequently described the situation as troubling.

According to The Independent, Musk had accused unnamed business interests of attempting to frustrate Starlink’s launch to protect their positions in the telecommunications market. He claimed the company had spent five years complying with India’s regulatory requirements and questioned why it had yet to receive a licence, despite being authorised to operate in more than 165 countries.

India’s Communications Ministry rejected allegations of discriminatory regulation, maintaining that its framework for satellite communication services was fair and non-discriminatory. The ministry said three companies had applied for authorisation and were awaiting approval. The Independent, citing The Times of India, identified the applicants as Starlink, Reliance Jio and Eutelsat OneWeb, which is backed by Sunil Bharti Mittal.

Starlink’s vice-president of business operations, Lauren Dreyer, said the company was prepared to serve Indian customers once the necessary authorisation was granted. She also highlighted its engagement with telecommunications operators and state governments ahead of a possible launch.

India remains an attractive market for satellite internet providers, with approximately 1.1 billion internet subscribers recorded at the end of March, according to data cited in the report. However, connectivity remains uneven, with rural communities lagging behind urban areas in internet access.

Regulatory and security concerns have also featured in the debate over Starlink’s entry. A Bloomberg report cited by The Independent said Indian regulators had reportedly paused the approval process in June amid concerns that satellite terminals could be used even when the service was not licensed.