Elon Musk’s Starlink has received a Letter of Intent (LoI) from India’s Department of Telecommunications (DoT), allowing it to launch satellite-based internet services in the country. This approval follows Starlink’s agreement to comply with India’s revised national security guidelines for satellite communications.
Starlink, operated by Starlink Services LLC, was under review for some time, with the final clearance granted after the company accepted stringent conditions, including local data hosting, monitoring protocols, and location tracking for mobile terminals. The new rules also require 20% of the satellite ground infrastructure to be domestically sourced within the first few years of operation.
While initial consultations saw Starlink objecting to conditions such as mandatory Indian ownership and terminal tracking near borders, the Indian government later dropped these demands.
Starlink now becomes the first company licensed under India’s GMPCS (Global Mobile Personal Communication by Satellite) framework to offer mobile satellite internet services—unlike competitors like OneWeb and Jio-SES, which are limited to fixed-line satellite connectivity.
With over 7,000 low-Earth orbit satellites currently active and plans to expand to 40,000, Starlink’s high-speed internet can serve hard-to-reach rural areas. However, the cost remains a barrier—monthly fees are expected to range between ₹3,000–₹7,000, with hardware costs between ₹20,000–₹35,000. Despite this, the service is seen as a potential game-changer for underserved regions if supported by government subsidies.
Starlink still requires final approvals from IN-SPACe and spectrum allocation before full rollout. The company has reportedly engaged with Indian telecom majors like Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel for strategic partnerships.
