By Nitya Chakraborty
U.S. Secretary of state Marco Rubio’s visit to India this week and talks with the Indian corporate leaders including Mukesh Ambani and Gautam Adani have roused unusual interest in the country’s business circles as also among diplomats globally. There are two aspects. First, Rubio gave priority to his visit to Jamnagar and detailed discussions on oil refining and future collaboration between the U.S companies and the Reliance group. Second, though he met Mukesh Ambani in the backdrop of Elon Musk’s personal tirade against Mukesh, Rubio made no comment and conveyed in so many words his support to the Ambani group.
Interestingly, Elon Musk overdid his job by openly accusing Mukesh Ambani of playing a role in preventing Musk’s company Starlink to secure final approval to launch its internet satellite services in India. Musk also got it wrong by questioning whether Mukesh Ambani is the real boss of India. Musk, it seems, is a bit backdated. If that term has to be used to any corporate group, that has to be the Adani group headed by Gautam Adani. In the year 2026, Gautam Adani has more leverage with the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the PMO compared to Mukesh Ambani.
As per Bloomberg Billionares index, as on October 22, 2026,Elon Musk is the richest man in the world with his wealth estimated atUS$985 billion . Next to him is Larry Page at US$ 257 billion, a distant second. Our Indian Gautam Adani is now 24th in global rank with an estimated wealth of US$ 107 billion, the richest in India followed by Mukesh Ambani at US& 80.4 billion. Gautam Adani prospered in Narendra Modi era, while Ambani groups’ prosperity began from India Gandhi years. Adani group has its operations in most of the infra sectors in India with big emphasis on green energy. Mukesh Ambani group, even after Jio’s IPO success, is not in a position to cross Adani’s present wealth figure., as per assessment by wealth experts.
Elon Musk has virtually made a mockery of our Prime Minister Narendra Modi by hinting that Indian PM is powerless before the corporate might of Mukesh Ambani. Musk could not have dared to make such veiled comments against any top Chinese official in China, not to talk of the Chinese Prime Minister. Chinese have taught lessons to Elon Musk as Tesla competed with the Chinese electric vehicles and lost the race. Tesla had to enter the Chinese market after agreeing to all conditions set by Beijing.
What is the actual position of Starlink approval at the level of the Indian government? It is interesting that Ambani’s Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel of Sunil Mittal have also agreement with Musk’s Starlink. They are both collaborators as also competitors. But as far as Indian market is concerned, both Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel are preparing to launch services on their own.
In March 2025, both Indian companies signed agreements with SpaceX to distribute Starlink equipment and services in India, subject to government approval. The companies also said they could explore sharing network infrastructure. Musk now fears that Jio of the Ambanis, with their huge financial muscle will capture the burgeoning internet satellite market and keep Starlink away. Musk is not ready to be kept out of this vast Indian market. So he retaliated.
Last week, India’s Ministry of Communications responded, saying that three operators – Starlink, Eutelsat OneWeb and Jio Satellite Communications – were at broadly the same stage of the approval process, with all three awaiting security clearances and spectrum allocation before they can launch commercial services. Without mentioning Musk’s name directly, the ministry of communications said that the suggestion that the framework or its application is unfair or discriminatory is baseless and misconceived.
Despite all the open criticism by Elon Musk charging Indian government of discriminatory policies, the ministry officials are only responding in a low key voice .Perhaps, they still want to keep Elon Musk on the right side of the Indian government. Narendra Modi has expectations from Musk of big investments in other areas, even if he does not get Starlink approval. Starlink is licensed in over 165 countries. Most of these countries have low technology base and warmly welcomed Starlink, but India has a firm tech base. Reliance Jio chairman Akash Ambani announced at the Indian Mobile Congress last week that Jio is developing its own satellite communication technology.
Significantly, Tesla recently unveiled its next-generation Roadster, which can briefly take flight and perform an aerial flip, drawing global attention. The Wall Street Journal published an article arguing that “Elon Musk’s latest vision for the company’s sports car has more to do with China than cold-gas rocket thrusters.” It suggested that Musk “is leaving the mainstream car market to the Chinese” because “many Western automakers are unable to compete without government intervention.” The article also claimed that some Western automakers are feeling the same pressure as Musk to either “move up” or “be pushed out.”
The English official daily of the Chinese Communist Party Global Times has an interesting view on this new venture of Musk. According to GT, the competitive pressure generated by China’s auto industry is indeed a reality that automakers around the world cannot ignore. Musk himself has publicly described Chinese automakers as the “most competitive in the world.”
According to the International Energy Agency, global electric vehicle sales exceeded 20 million in 2025, with Chinese automakers accounting for around 60 percent of sales and roughly three-quarters of global EV production. At this year’s Paris Motor Show, the presence of more than 20 Chinese auto brands attracted considerable attention in Europe. Chinese companies have evolved from important participants in the global auto industry into formidable competitors in an expanding range of markets and technological fields.
According to GT, interpreting Tesla’s Roadster unveiling as a simple retreat from the mainstream market is misleading. From the outset, the Roadster was designed for a niche market, serving as a showcase for Tesla’s technological capabilities and brand image. It is not just Tesla. In recent years, nearly all leading global automakers have placed greater emphasis on autonomous driving, connected vehicles and AI applications, reflecting a broader industry consensus on the future of mobility and automotive technology.
In fact, most established automakers have not abandoned the mass market. On the contrary, they are stepping up efforts to compete for this core segment of the automotive market. Volkswagen and Renault are still developing more affordable electric vehicles and Toyota and Honda are maintaining dual-track strategies involving both hybrids and pure electric vehicles. The transformation underway in the global auto industry is therefore far more complex than a scenario in which Chinese companies take over the mass market while Western automakers retreat to the premium segment.
This latest positioning of Elon Musk in auto sector has lessons for the global industry in general. Musk is recognizing the market reality..He is emphasizing more on premium segment reducing his commitment to the mass segment recognizing the more competitive nature of the Chinese auto makers. But Elon knows how to synergise innovation with technology. He will do it to remain in competition with China. For India also, in every high tech sector including satellite internet communication, Indian companies have to opt for that innovation on the basis of our indigenous technology. If the Indian companies can do that on their own, Elon Musk will be compelled to seek collaboration on Indian terms. The Spacex boss can’t afford the biggest domestic market for satellite internet communication in the world. (IPA Service)
