Has Reliance Jio’s ambitious plan to launch 1,600 satellites over India fueled Elon Musk’s latest swipe at Mukesh Ambani? As the SpaceX chief questions Starlink’s prolonged wait for regulatory clearance and asks whether Ambani is the “real boss of India”, Jio’s satellite ambitions have added a new dimension to the battle for India’s lucrative satellite internet market.Musk, whose Starlink satellite internet service has been awaiting final regulatory clearances in India, questioned why the company has not received a licence despite five years of compliance efforts. In a post on X, his remark asking whether Ambani runs the country sparked a fresh debate over competition and regulatory hurdles in the satellite communications market.The exchange took a political turn when Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi responded to Musk’s post, saying, “Welcome to India, Elon. Wait till you discover the other guy.” Musk thanked Gandhi and described the situation as “indeed troubling”.The remarks come as Jio showcases its proposed “Sovereign Satellite Connectivity” initiative at the 10th India Mobile Congress (IMC) 2026 in New Delhi. The project envisages a constellation of approximately 1,600 satellites and 23 ground stations designed to expand internet access to areas where terrestrial networks are difficult to deploy.According to the company’s display at the event, Jio aims to retain the entire satellite technology value chain within India, encompassing design, engineering, integration, testing, launch, deployment, and operations. The proposed network is intended to complement existing terrestrial infrastructure, providing 100 per cent land and maritime coverage across more than 6,00,000 villages, islands, and border outposts.Speaking at IMC 2026, Jio chairman Akash Ambani highlighted the company’s broader digital connectivity ambitions, including advances in satellite technology, artificial intelligence and an indigenous satellite technology stack.“We really believe that we can innovate on the voice service and the data service using AI,” Ambani said, emphasising Jio’s push toward 6G technology, noting that the company has already filed pre-6G patents.Notably, Musk previously accused unnamed “oligarchs” of blocking Starlink’s entry into India to protect their “monopolistic chokehold”.In response, the government maintained that its authorisation framework for satellite communication services is fair and non-discriminatory, with three global satellite communication operators progressing progressing through the regulatory process. The dispute underscores the growing commercial and political stakes in India’s emerging satellite broadband sector.