Elon Musk’s Starlink Inc. has logged a win in the fight for India’s satellite broadband market with a government minister saying the spectrum will be allocated, and not auctioned as sought by homegrown billionaires Mukesh Ambani and Sunil Mittal.

Starlink Elon Musk satellite internet India spectrum allocation broadband services telecom giants Jio Satellite Communications OneWeb Reliance Jio

Having just lost a battle with Elon Musk over how India's satellite spectrum is awarded, Asia's richest man Mukesh Ambani could face a bigger challenge if Musk's Starlink launches services in India and the two go head-to-head on price.

The satellite spectrum allocation by the Indian government has triggered India’s dominant telco the Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Jio that earlier privately lobbied for auction. However, after Elon Musk’s criticism of the same,

India is set to allocate spectrum for satellite services through administrative means rather than auction, a decision that aligns with recent comments by Elon Musk and rebuffs lobbying efforts by the country's largest telecom operators.

The Indian government's decision to allocate spectrum for satellite broadband rather than auctioning brings Elon Musk's Starlink one step closer to launching in India.

Billionaires Elon Musk and Mukesh Ambani are at odds over a crucial decision shaping the future of satellite broadband in India, should satellite spectrum be auctioned or assigned administratively? This debate isn't just a clash between industry giants;