Elon Musk Pledges Affordable Starlink Pricing In India Ahead Of Jio IPO

Musk has not disclosed Starlink’s India prices, while both Starlink and Jio’s satellite venture await final security clearance

Elon Musk has pledged to offer Starlink’s satellite internet services at affordable prices in India, potentially intensifying competition with Reliance Jio as its parent, Jio Platforms, prepares for a proposed initial public offering (IPO) targeting a valuation of USD 106 billion.

Musk did not disclose Starlink’s proposed India pricing. However, he acknowledged that the service would need to be competitively priced to attract customers in a market where mobile data costs around 8 cents per gigabyte, among the lowest rates globally.

“Obviously, if Starlink is too expensive in India, no one will buy it, so SpaceX will need to make pricing affordable,” Musk wrote on his social media platform X on Saturday.

Musk argued that greater competition would benefit consumers by giving them more choices, even if it reduced the profits of Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani. “Ambani's profits will be lower, but he is not going out of business,” he wrote.

Starlink Entry Awaits Clearance

Musk’s come amid a series of posts accusing the Indian government and Ambani of delaying Starlink’s entry into the country to protect Reliance Jio’s market position. On Friday, he addressed Ambani as “Prime Minister Ambani” and asked whether he would allow Starlink to compete in India.

The government has rejected allegations of bias in the approval process. It has said that all three satellite internet operators seeking to launch services in India, including Starlink and Jio’s satellite venture, are awaiting final security clearance.

Starlink, operated by Musk’s SpaceX, has secured an operating licence but still needs to meet security compliance requirements and obtain spectrum assignment before launching commercial services in India.

The pricing pledge comes days before Jio Platforms’ proposed IPO, which is expected to be the country’s largest-ever listing. The company is targeting a valuation of USD 106 billion, placing its telecom business and broader digital services portfolio in focus as competition in India’s connectivity market evolves.

Low-cost mobile data has been central to Jio’s expansion in India. Musk has used a similar pricing strategy in markets such as Kenya to challenge established telecom operators. SpaceX is also planning to enter the mobile carrier market, beginning in the United States.

Starlink’s potential entry would add another competitor to India’s large internet market, although its pricing, launch timeline, and ability to secure the remaining regulatory approvals are yet to be established.