Elon Musk-led company Starlink has been approved to operate in India, announced by Pemmasani Chandra Sekhar, Minister of State for Rural Development and Communications, GOI. However, there is a significant limitation: Starlink will only be allowed to offer up to 2 million user connections nationwide.

The minister, following a key review meeting with Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL), said that Starlink will deliver speeds of up to 200 megabits per second (Mbps). However, he was quick to downplay concerns that the satellite-based service could threaten existing telecom players, including BSNL. According to him, Starlink’s high cost and limited market focus—primarily rural and remote areas—mean it is unlikely to disrupt the current telecom ecosystem.

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Not a threat to BSNL or telcos: Sekhar

The minister stressed that Starlink is not expected to directly compete with India’s mainstream telecom providers. “The monthly subscription fee and installation charges, which hover around Rs. 3,000, are significantly higher than what most Indian consumers are willing to pay,” he noted. This pricing makes it a niche offering rather than a mass-market product, he added.

Regulatory green light after 2 years

Earlier this month, Starlink crossed a critical regulatory milestone by securing the final operating license from the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe), the national space regulator. This clears the path for Starlink’s commercial rollout in India after a two-year-long wait for full government clearance. With this approval, Starlink joins the ranks of Eutelsat’s OneWeb and Reliance Jio as the third company licensed to provide satellite internet services in India.

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What’s next for Starlink in India?

Despite receiving the go-ahead, Starlink still needs to acquire spectrum allocations from the Indian government before it can start full-scale operations. Additionally, it must build ground infrastructure and undergo testing to meet India’s security and compliance standards. To facilitate distribution, Starlink has already signed agreements with Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio, who will help in delivering user kits to subscribers.