Elon Musk Targets Ambani Ahead of Jio IPO: What’s the Agenda?
There has long been a perception that major corporate groups influence policy decisions, irrespective of which party is in power at the Centre. Similar allegations have been levelled against the Congress, which ruled the country for a long period, as well as the Modi government led by the BJP, which has been in power for the past 12 years. These criticisms are not new. Over the past few days, Elon Musk, the world’s richest person, has been targeting Mukesh Ambani, one of India’s leading industrialists, with a series of critical remarks. This has now become a hot topic in both political and corporate circles. With the Reliance Jio IPO expected to begin in the coming days, discussions are gaining momentum over whether Elon Musk has an agenda behind his repeated attacks on Ambani. Another important aspect is that Starlink, Elon Musk’s company, has entered into an agreement with Reliance Jio, part of Reliance Industries, to provide satellite-based internet services in India. The agreement was signed in March 2025.
In fact, Reliance Jio and Airtel had earlier demanded that spectrum be allocated to Starlink through an auction, following the same procedure used to allocate spectrum to telecom companies. They urged the Centre to ensure a level playing field by providing equal opportunities to all companies. Subsequently, both companies entered into agreements with Starlink. Recently, Elon Musk posted a sarcastic remark on X referring to Mukesh Ambani as “Prime Minister Ambani” of India. In political and corporate circles, there is a perception that Gautam Adani, another major industrialist, is now closer to Prime Minister Narendra Modi than Ambani. Against this backdrop, questions are being raised about whether Musk’s decision to single out Ambani is linked to delays in securing approvals for his company Starlink, or whether other factors are involved.
Reports suggest that the Reliance Jio IPO could open on October 21. Against this backdrop, Elon Musk’s repeated posts targeting Mukesh Ambani have assumed significance. Musk has also recently shared on X media reports from the past alleging that Reliance had provided substantial election funding to the BJP. It is an open secret that major companies in India, including Reliance Industries, provide election funding to key political parties, both directly and indirectly. Elon Musk has been repeatedly targeting both the Centre and Mukesh Ambani. This has made it interesting to see how the controversy will unfold and what turns it will take. The Centre has rejected Musk’s allegations that Starlink’s satellite internet services are being denied permission to protect the interests of certain influential individuals. The government has clarified that it follows the same approach towards all companies. Despite this, Musk’s attacks have not stopped.
