Musk Secures India Deal After Modi Meeting, Partners With Ambani On Starlink Expansion

India-West News Desk

NEW DELHI – After a long wait, Elon Musk has finally secured a foothold in India’s satellite internet market, striking a surprise deal with Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Jio to distribute Starlink equipment across the country. The agreement, announced months after Musk met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Washington, comes as the billionaire entrepreneur’s influence in the U.S. grows and amid mounting concerns over India’s steep import tariffs on Tesla vehicles.

For months, Musk and Ambani had been at odds over how India should allocate airwaves for satellite internet. While Reliance pushed for an auction, the Indian government ultimately sided with Musk’s preferred administrative allocation model. Now, in a strategic shift, Jio will stock Starlink equipment in thousands of retail outlets, marking a significant move for both companies.

The Starlink-Jio deal follows a similar agreement between SpaceX and Bharti Airtel, India’s second-largest telecom operator. Both partnerships remain contingent on government approval, a process that has stalled Starlink’s India entry since 2022. “This is a low-cost entry model,” a source told Reuters, highlighting the advantages for Starlink as it navigates regulatory hurdles.

Musk’s broader ambitions in India extend beyond satellite internet. Tesla has recently secured a deal for its first showroom in the country but continues to grapple with import tariffs exceeding 100%. The new partnership with Jio could help Starlink secure smoother regulatory approvals, with experts noting that the political landscape—particularly Musk’s ties to former President Donald Trump—could also play a role. “The advantage with Starlink is that it is a larger constellation, it benefits from SpaceX’s high rocket launch frequency, and the geopolitical heft thanks to the Trump-Musk relationship,” said Chaitanya Giri, Space Fellow at the Observer Research Foundation, in remarks to Reuters.

With India’s satellite broadband sector projected to grow 36% annually to $1.9 billion by 2030, the stakes are high. While Ambani’s Reliance Jio already operates a satellite broadband joint venture with Luxembourg-based SES, the tie-up with Starlink signals a new phase of cooperation rather than direct competition.