Elon Musk published an unusual tweet – and got into trouble with Indians: "Don't mock us"

Elon Musk harshly attacked Indian billionaire Mukesh Ambani, who is responsible for India's largest internet network, alleging a deliberate blockade of Starlink's entry into the market. Musk posted a sarcastic tweet calling Ambani "Prime Minister Ambani" and called for competition. India's communications minister rejected the claims, while Indian users responded with satirical memes.

Elon Musk launched a sharp public attack on Indian tycoon Mukesh Ambani, head of the Reliance conglomerate, accusing Ambani of deliberately blocking the entry of Starlink satellite internet service into the Indian market to maintain a telecommunications monopoly. Musk posted a sarcastic tweet on X calling Ambani "Prime Minister Ambani" and calling for free competition. The attack comes against a backdrop of five years of regulatory delays in allocating frequencies and security approvals for Starlink, just days before a massive IPO of Ambani's telecom arm, Jio Platforms, valued at $106 billion. India's Communications Minister, Jyotiraditya Scindia, rejected the claims at a press conference, emphasizing that all authorized satellite communication providers are at the same stage. Indian users responded with a wave of satirical memes, including a viral image of an Indian man holding a sign saying: "I just love the way Indians criticize Elon Musk on his app while using Ambani's mobile internet." The tension marks a shift in the warm relations Musk had cultivated with Prime Minister Modi.