Elon Musk's Starlink Gets Final Nod; Gears Up for Satellite Broadband Service in India

Jul 09, 2025, 19:13 IST

The Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre (IN-SPACe), India's space regulator, has approved Elon Musk's Starlink, removing the final regulatory barrier to the launch of commercial satellite broadband operations in the nation, sources informed Moneycontrol.

Starlink is now the third company to receive complete regulatory approval for satellite internet services in India, following Eutelsat OneWeb and Reliance Jio. This approval comes just weeks after Starlink obtained its Global Mobile Personal Communication by Satellite (GMPCS) license from the Department of Telecommunications (DoT).

Now that the approval has been granted, Starlink needs to build ground infrastructure, purchase spectrum from the government, and conduct trials and testing to prove that it complies with national security regulations. The company plans to open at least three gateway stations across the country as part of its rollout strategy.

Additionally, Starlink will receive trial spectrum from the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) in exchange for completing security compliance demonstrations. Based on new suggestions from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), the DoT is anticipated to shortly finalize regulations and pricing for satellite spectrum allocation.

At the time of publication, neither Starlink nor IN-SPACe had responded to queries. According to a recent Moneycontrol report, Starlink has already inked its first commercial contracts with VSAT operators in India, indicating its plan to begin charging for government and business internet services before the distribution of satellite spectrum is finalized.

Through these collaborations, Starlink hopes to establish a foothold in the B2G and B2B markets while preparing for a future launch that will target consumers. Although retail pricing plans are still being finalized, sources indicated that the corporation may soon start providing direct-to-consumer satellite connections through its website.