Rivals turn partners: After Airtel, Ambani’s Jio signs satellite internet deal with Musk’s Starlink

Billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Jio announced a pact with Elonk Musk’s SpaceX to bring Starlink satellite internet services in India, a surprise move that follows months of bickering over how Musk’s venture should be granted spectrum.

The deal with Musk – considered the right-hand-man to US President Donald Trump – comes a day after telecom tycoon Sunil Bharti Mittal’s Bharti Airtel signed a similar partnership deal with SpaceX. Rivals Jio and Airtel had come together to demand an auction for awarding spectrum for satellite services in India as they feared an administrative allocation will give Musk airwaves at a price lower than what they had paid via auctions in the past.