Musk’s Starlink approved in India, taking on Jio and Airtel

New Delhi: India has granted an official licence to Elon Musk's Starlink satellite internet service, a move hailed by the government as the beginning of a new era in nationwide digital connectivity.

Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia announced the development on Tuesday after meeting with Gwynne Shotwell, President and COO of SpaceX, which owns Starlink. According to Scindia, Shotwell called the approval "a great start to the journey" and expressed optimism about Starlink’s future in India.

Starlink provides high-speed internet via a constellation of low Earth orbit satellites, aimed particularly at rural and remote regions lacking traditional broadband infrastructure. The move is expected to transform internet access in India’s underserved areas, though it has also stirred debates around issues such as spectrum policy and pricing models.

India's two largest telecom providers—Mukesh Ambani-led Jio Platforms and rival Bharti Airtel—have already announced partnerships with SpaceX to offer Starlink services to their respective customer bases.

The development brings fresh attention to Elon Musk's business interests in India. While his presence in the country has so far been limited to the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), Tesla is preparing to formally enter the Indian EV market.

However, Musk has previously clashed with Indian telecom giants, especially over his advocacy for administrative allocation of satellite spectrum rather than the auction method favoured by players like Jio. The regulatory framework for satellite internet continues to be a contentious issue as global firms jostle for market share in India’s digital economy.

The licence approval is likely to speed up Starlink’s commercial rollout, enabling SpaceX to directly compete in India’s burgeoning broadband market.
(With AFP inputs)