Reliance Industries Ltd SAYS INDIAN LAWS APPLY EQUALLY

Reliance Industries Ltd on Friday asserted that India’s regulatory framework applies equally to domestic and foreign companies, responding to Elon Musk’s criticism of the hurdles faced by Starlink in securing approvals to operate in the country. The company said its growth had been driven by an Indian market that encourages investment and innovation, provided businesses comply with the law. It emphasised that the principle of equal treatment under the law applies to every applicant, regardless of nationality, and noted that Jio’s satellite communication services are also awaiting regulatory clearances. “Every player, Jio included, must serve the people of India and abide by the laws and policies of the land,” Reliance said, adding that it welcomes competition in the satellite communications sector, including from Starlink. Reliance highlighted Jio’s journey since entering India’s highly competitive telecom market in 2016 as a new player with no customers. In a decade, Jio has built a subscriber base of more than 530 million users, providing digital infrastructure and data services at some of the most affordable rates globally. The company’s remarks come amid a broader debate over the regulatory approval process for satellite internet services in India, following Musk’s criticism of the requirements faced by Starlink. Earlier, the Ministry of Telecommunications had rejected allegations that India’s approval framework discriminates against any company. The ministry said the three satellite communication ventures were at broadly comparable stages of the regulatory process, with security assessments still underway.