Gwalior
Elon Musk’s Starlink will soon be India’s third company to receive a satellite communication (satcom) services license, following Bharti’s OneWeb and Reliance Jio. Union Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia confirmed this during a media interaction in Gwalior on Thursday.
Scindia said the Department of Telecom will issue the license shortly, after which Starlink will receive its spectrum allocation. “Satellite telecom services will then expand rapidly across India,” he noted.
Highlighting Starlink’s role, Scindia described it as a “new flower in the telecom bouquet,” adding that satellite connectivity is essential for boosting internet coverage in remote and difficult-to-reach areas where traditional telecom infrastructure is hard to install.
India’s telecom network has already evolved from landlines to mobile, broadband, and optical fibre. Now, satellite communication will complete the connectivity circle, especially benefiting interior regions.
Starlink is also partnering with telecom giants Airtel and Jio to use their dealer networks for service delivery. This collaboration is expected to accelerate Starlink’s market reach.
Starlink’s presence in India has gained momentum recently, particularly after Donald Trump’s return to the U.S. presidency. Elon Musk, a known Trump supporter, is reportedly seeking deeper business engagement in India.
In April, Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal met with a Starlink delegation to discuss their technology, partnerships, and future investment plans in the country.
Satellite internet is expected to be a game-changer for digital access in India, particularly in rural areas where internet penetration remains low. Starlink’s entry could help bridge this gap, making affordable, high-speed internet more widely available.
