Reliance Says It Welcomes Starlink Competition; Asserts All Players Must Follow Indian Laws

New Delhi: Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) on Friday said it does not fear competition and welcomes it in satellite communications sector, including from Elon Musk’s Starlink, but asserted that every player must abide by Indian laws.

The company issued a statement to “place the facts on record”, its first direct response after a recent spate of public barbs by billionaire Elon Musk over competition in India’s satellite communications market. Musk had criticised Reliance and argued that greater competition would benefit consumers in satcom space.

“In light of recent remarks about Reliance and the Indian market, we wish to place the facts on record…At Reliance, we have never feared competition. We see it as the truest test of who serves the customer best,” the statement said.

Jio itself entered India’s crowded telecom market in 2016 as the newest player, with not a single customer, and in a matter of just ten years, earned the trust of over 530 million customers, offering Indians some of the best digital infrastructure and most affordable data in the world, the statement said.

It added: “We welcome competition in satellite communications, including Starlink. Every player, Jio included, must serve the people of India and abide by the laws and policies of the land”.

Like every Indian enterprise, Reliance said, it too has grown in an India that welcomes investment and innovation, homegrown or international, that improve the lives of the people.

“That openness rests on the rule of law. As Government of India has stated, it applies the same process to every applicant, Indian or foreign. Jio’s own satellite services await clearances,” the statement said.

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