Elon Musk Doubles Down on Attack Against Mukesh Ambani After 'Prime Minister' Jibe

Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk has escalated his public criticism of Indian businessman Mukesh Ambani, sharing screenshots of old news reports on social media hours after sarcastically referring to him as the "prime minister" and questioning delays regarding Starlink's market entry. The latest posts on X (formerly Twitter) follow ongoing tensions over satellite communication licensing and regulatory approvals in India's expanding digital sector.

Escalating Criticism on Social Media

Musk intensified his attacks on Friday, October 10, sharing screenshots of historical reports alleging corporate-political ties between Ambani and the Bharatiya Janata Party following an initial sharp jibe directed at the Reliance Industries chairman. ‘Real Boss of India’: Elon Musk Takes ‘Prime Minister’ Jibe at Mukesh Ambani Over Starlink’s India Entry.

Elon Musk Doubles Down on Attack Against Mukesh Ambani

https://t.co/DJYynAyO0W

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 10, 2026

In a social media post, Elon Musk shared screenshots of old Al Jazeera and Indian Express reports alleging links between Ambani and the BJP, continuing his criticism of the businessman. Earlier, Musk had written on X: "Dear Prime Minister Ambani, please accept my humble apologies for not realizing that you are the real boss of India. Naturally, you would prefer to maintain your monopolistic exploitation of the great people of India, but would you nonetheless consider allowing Starlink to compete?"

Dear Prime Minister Ambani, Says Elon Musk

Dear Prime Minister Ambani,

Please accept my humble apologies for not realizing that you are the real boss of India.

Naturally, you would prefer to maintain your monopolistic exploitation of the great people of India, but would you nonetheless consider allowing Starlink to compete?

There are many areas of India, as there are in all countries, with no Internet access, which denies children the opportunity for education and for small businesses the opportunity to sell their goods to a global market. Starlink would change their lives for the better.

Thank you 🙏

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 9, 2026

The SpaceX CEO had previously claimed that regulatory hurdles were deliberately placed to block Starlink's operations. Backing a user post earlier in the week, he stated: "Unfortunately, we are being blocked by certain oligarchs in order to maintain their monopolistic chokehold on the Indian people. You can guess who they are …This is a crime against the people of India!"

Arguments for Starlink's Market Entry

Amid the ongoing public dispute, Musk emphasised the potential societal benefits of satellite internet deployment, arguing that connectivity could bridge significant infrastructure gaps. "There are many areas of India, as there are in all countries, with no Internet access, which denies children the opportunity for education and for small businesses the opportunity to sell their goods to a global market. Starlink would change their lives for the better," Musk posted. In a separate post, he added: "Starlink will be of great help to areas of India that have bad or no Internet and even no mobile coverage. No country has perfect coverage, including America, but Starlink can fill in the coverage gaps for those who most need it."

Government and Regulatory Response

Responding to the criticism, Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia stated that India maintains a transparent, non-discriminatory framework that prohibits monopolies across all telecommunications sectors. Addressing reporters without naming Musk, Scindia said: "Let me set the record straight. For us, the Department of Telecommunications, we are technology agnostic... Our job is to be able to provide the bouquet of services to every single customer. It is for the customer to choose in a free market which service he or she prefers, and within that service bouquet, which company's service he or she prefers."

The minister further clarified the current operational status for satellite providers: "We are very clear on our stand. There are three parties that have got a licence; as and when the government decides the charge system on the revenue basis, that spectrum will be assigned to them, and as and when they individually fulfil the security conditions, they can start operations."

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 10, 2026 02:37 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).