Elon Musk’s Starlink has finally secured a crucial licence from the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) to provide satellite-based internet services in India, marking a transformative moment in the country’s digital journey. With this move, Starlink becomes the third company—after Eutelsat OneWeb and Jio Satellite Communications—to gain official entry into the Indian satellite internet space. Amazon’s Project Kuiper, a formidable competitor, remains in limbo as it awaits regulatory approvals. The approval for Starlink comes after prolonged delays and negotiations, but its timing—coinciding with a dramatic public spat between Musk and U.S. President Donald Trump—has added another layer of global intrigue to what is essentially a major domestic milestone. The licence allows Starlink to soon apply for trial spectrum, which, according to DoT sources, may be granted within the next 15 to 20 days. This is a necessary step before commercial deployment, as the trial spectrum will enable the company to test its systems, processes, and compliance with India’s security requirements. Importantly, Starlink must now adhere to stringent Indian regulations, including provisions for lawful interception of communications, data localisation, and partial indigenisation of its network infrastructure. These rules reflect India’s evolving security and data protection posture, especially at a time when digital infrastructure has become as critical as physical infrastructure. Starlink’s business model is built on a constellation of low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites—currently numbering around 7,000, with ambitions to scale up to over 40,000. Unlike traditional satellite internet that relies on geostationary satellites located far above the Earth, Starlink’s LEO satellites orbit just 550 kilometres from the surface, allowing for low-latency, high-speed internet access. The system has already proven its worth in difficult terrains and conflict zones, such as in Ukraine, where Starlink kept communication channels alive amidst the fog of war. In the Indian context, this technology could be a game changer for rural, hilly, and border areas where laying fibre optics is prohibitively expensive or logistically unfeasible.
Starlink’s entry into India has not occurred in isolation. Over the past few months, the company has been busy forging strategic partnerships with Indian telecom giants such as Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel, which together control over 70% of the country’s mobile market. These alliances will be essential for Starlink to navigate India’s complex regulatory and market environment. While the technology and ambition are impressive, success will ultimately depend on ground-level execution, pricing models, and the ability to deliver consistent service across geographies. However, the broader satellite communication landscape in India is still in flux. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) recently submitted its recommendations to the government regarding pricing and conditions for satellite spectrum allocation. Only after these recommendations are accepted and the radio waves officially allocated can companies like Starlink begin commercial operations. TRAI has suggested a 4% adjusted gross revenue (AGR) levy as spectrum charges for satcom providers—a rate much higher than what industry players had lobbied for. Moreover, for urban users, an additional charge of ₹500 per subscriber annually has been proposed, though no such surcharge would apply in rural areas, thereby creating a natural incentive for rural expansion. Predictably, these pricing recommendations have drawn sharp criticism from the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), whose members include Reliance Jio and Airtel. The COAI contends that the proposed spectrum charges are based on flawed assumptions and unfairly advantage satellite companies at the expense of terrestrial telecom operators. TRAI, however, has dismissed these claims and refused to consider a review of its recommendations at this stage. This tug-of-war highlights the underlying tension between traditional telecom providers and emerging satellite players, each vying for a slice of India’s massive and rapidly growing internet user base. Adding complexity to the picture are India’s newly tightened security norms for satellite services. Last month, the government laid down strict conditions that require satcom companies to localise at least 20% of their ground infrastructure within a set number of years, restrict overseas data processing, and ensure access for surveillance. These measures are meant to safeguard national interests but could slow down the entry and expansion of global players unaccustomed to such levels of compliance. For a company like Starlink, which operates on a global scale and thrives on decentralised infrastructure, these demands could be challenging to meet without significant local investment. The Starlink licence also arrives at a diplomatically charged moment. Elon Musk, fresh off his resignation from a short-lived government advisory role in the United States, found himself in a very public feud with President Trump. Accusations, rebuttals, and cancellations of U.S. contracts dominated headlines, but they did not deter Indian authorities from moving forward with the licence process. Whether by coincidence or quiet assertion of sovereignty in tech policy, India has sent a clear message that its regulatory decisions remain insulated from American political drama. For India, Starlink’s entry is about more than just one more service provider entering the fray. It is a step toward digital inclusivity, an attempt to narrow the urban-rural digital divide, and a way to build resilient communication systems in an era where connectivity underpins everything from education to disaster response. But for Musk, this is not just a business opportunity—it is a test of whether Starlink can succeed in a democracy that demands transparency, localisation, and regulatory obedience. The journey ahead is long and filled with both promise and pitfalls. Starlink may be beaming broadband from the skies, but its Indian chapter will be written on the ground—through meticulous compliance, local partnerships, and a deep understanding of India’s socio-political landscape.