India has officially granted a license to Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite internet service, a move hailed as a significant advancement in bridging the country’s digital divide. The approval, announced by India’s Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, paves the way for Starlink to offer high-speed internet across remote and underserved regions using its network of low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites.
“This marks the next frontier of connectivity in India,” Scindia said, following what he described as a “productive meeting” with Gwynne Shotwell, President and COO of Starlink’s parent company, SpaceX. The announcement was made Tuesday via X (formerly Twitter), which is also owned by Musk.
Shotwell expressed appreciation for the licensing approval, calling it a promising beginning for Starlink’s operations in the country.
Starlink’s entry has sparked robust debate in India, particularly around key issues such as spectrum allocation and concerns over predatory pricing that could disrupt the domestic telecom landscape. The discussion has intensified as traditional telecom giants Jio Platforms and Bharti Airtel both announced partnerships with SpaceX earlier in March to offer satellite-based internet services to their customers.
Tensions have also surfaced between Musk and Jio owner Mukesh Ambani—Asia’s richest man—over the method of allocating satellite spectrum. Musk has pushed for administrative allocation, while Ambani’s camp favors auction-based distribution, mirroring how terrestrial telecom spectrum is assigned.
Until now, Musk’s presence in the Indian market has been limited primarily to his ownership of the social media platform X. However, his electric vehicle company Tesla is reportedly preparing to launch in India, signaling broader ambitions in the region.
With the regulatory green light for Starlink now secured, India is set to join the growing list of countries integrating satellite internet to extend digital access to rural and remote populations, potentially reshaping the nation’s connectivity landscape.
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