Elon Musk, on Friday, responded with a “much appreciated” post to Reliance soon after Starlink also issued a conciliatory statement. Both posts came hours after Reliance issued a firm public statement responding to Musk's direct attack on the company and the Indian regulatory system.
Starlink, in a post on X, said it had worked with regulators, industry stakeholders and operators in India for more than five years. The company said it had also established dedicated systems, gateways and other infrastructure within the country to serve Indian users.
“Starlink is ready to connect India with high-speed internet,” the company said.
In its statement on Friday, Reliance Industries Ltd said that the company said its growth had been supported by an Indian market that welcomes investment and innovation, provided businesses comply with the law.
“As the Government of India has stated, it applies the same process to every applicant, Indian or foreign. Jio's own satellite services await clearances,” Reliance said in a statement.
Reliance said it had never been afraid of competition, describing it as “the truest test of who serves the customer best”. The company also emphasised that its satellite communication services under Jio were awaiting the necessary approvals.
Sunil Mittal, Chairman of Bharti Enterprises, had also commented on Musk’s allegations saying Eutelsat OneWeb applied 5 years ago and was still waiting for clearance. "We are already waiting for approvals. I am significantly ahead, we got our approvals five years back ... ," Mittal said at the Bloomberg New Economy Forum on Wednesday.
All three applicants for satcom licenses, including Starlink, are at the same stage of the regulatory approval process and currently waiting clearance.