Elon Musk’s ambitious satellite internet venture, Starlink, has finally received the green light to operate in India after years of regulatory hurdles and uncertainty. As of June 6, 2025, India’s Department of Telecommunications (DoT) granted Starlink a Global Mobile Personal Communication by Satellite (GMPCS) license. This approval marks a significant milestone, positioning Starlink as the third satellite internet provider licensed in India, following in the footsteps of Bharti-backed OneWeb and JioSpaceFiber, a subsidiary of Reliance Jio. This license is a vital step in allowing Starlink to legally provide high-speed satellite internet services in India’s underserved and remote regions, where traditional broadband infrastructure is either weak or completely absent.
With this regulatory milestone achieved, Starlink is now focused on the next phase of deployment. According to sources within the Ministry of Communications, the company is expected to receive spectrum allocation permissions within the next 15 to 20 days, which will allow it to begin technical and security trials. These trials are a necessary precursor to commercial operations, allowing Starlink to test its system for performance, security compliance, and overall service quality under Indian regulatory standards. Additionally, Starlink must obtain further clearance from IN-SPACe (Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Center)—the country’s space regulator—before it can begin full operations. These permissions will also involve coordination with ground-based infrastructure providers to establish uplink and downlink stations critical for satellite-based internet.
Assuming these approvals proceed without major delays, Starlink is projected to begin commercial operations in India within two months of receiving its license. Industry observers estimate that the company could roll out services to paying customers by August or September 2025. This is a much-anticipated development, particularly in India’s rural and mountainous regions, where terrestrial internet services remain sparse or completely unavailable. Starlink’s constellation of low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellites can deliver high-speed, low-latency internet to even the most isolated parts of the country. With a significant portion of India’s population—over 40% by some estimates—lacking reliable internet access, Starlink’s entry could dramatically reshape the nation’s digital landscape.
As part of its commercial plan, Starlink intends to offer its services at a monthly cost of ₹3,000 for unlimited data. This pricing structure is higher than average fiber broadband plans in urban India but is considered reasonable for rural areas where there are no viable alternatives. The hardware required to access Starlink’s services includes a Gen-3 satellite dish and router kit, priced at approximately ₹33,000. To attract initial customers and ease the onboarding process, Starlink is offering a one-month free trial to new users. The hardware will be available through both online channels and physical outlets, with Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel reportedly entering into partnerships with Starlink to help distribute equipment and potentially co-host services on their retail platforms.
These partnerships represent a strategic move for all involved parties. For Jio and Airtel, aligning with Starlink allows them to expand their market reach into rural India without investing heavily in terrestrial infrastructure. For Starlink, leveraging existing telecom networks enables faster rollout and efficient customer service support. Discussions around ground station locations and shared spectrum usage are currently underway. The Indian government has encouraged such collaborations to foster healthy competition and accelerate the goal of universal digital inclusion.
The path to this point has not been without obstacles. Starlink had previously faced regulatory pushback in late 2021, when it began accepting pre-orders in India without obtaining the necessary licenses. The DoT ordered the company to halt operations and refund customers who had paid for advance bookings. Following that, Starlink paused its India plans for nearly three years, during which time it restructured its approach to compliance, aligned its corporate registration with Indian law, and maintained ongoing dialogue with the telecom and space regulatory authorities. The recent issuance of the GMPCS license indicates that these efforts have paid off and that the Indian government is now more open to private international players in the satellite communications space—provided they follow local laws and security requirements.
One of the key stipulations of the GMPCS license is strict compliance with Indian data localization and surveillance rules. Starlink must ensure that user data collected within Indian territory is stored locally and made accessible to Indian law enforcement agencies upon request. Additionally, satellite signals must be routed through local ground stations rather than international nodes, a step meant to ensure cybersecurity and maintain national sovereignty over digital infrastructure. The DoT and Ministry of Home Affairs have jointly reviewed Starlink’s technology stack to confirm it can meet these stipulations, including real-time intercept capabilities and firewall protections.
In parallel, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) is working on finalizing policies around spectrum usage and revenue-sharing models for satellite-based internet. Current proposals suggest that satellite spectrum licenses may be issued on a non-auction basis, valid for three to five years, with operators paying an annual fee of 4% of their gross revenue. These frameworks are still under discussion but will likely form the backbone of the commercial terms for all satcom operators in India, including Starlink, OneWeb, and JioSpaceFiber.
The timing of Starlink’s India launch is critical, especially as India embarks on major national programs like Digital India 2.0 and rural education and e-health expansion. Satellite internet could be a game-changer for delivering government services, online education, telemedicine, and agricultural data in remote regions. Starlink’s ability to offer broadband-level speeds to places where even 2G mobile service is unreliable opens new frontiers in India’s digital transformation. Moreover, it allows for emergency internet support in disaster-prone regions and border areas—useful for military and relief efforts.
Looking ahead, Starlink’s entry is expected to intensify competition in the Indian broadband market, especially in semi-urban areas where traditional providers struggle with fiber rollout costs. However, challenges remain. The high hardware cost may be a deterrent for lower-income rural families unless subsidies or financing options are introduced. There are also concerns about the long-term sustainability of LEO satellite constellations, including issues of space debris, signal interference, and satellite lifespan. Nevertheless, with its growing fleet of over 5,000 satellites and robust logistics backbone, Starlink remains well-positioned to lead this new era of global connectivity.
In summary, Starlink’s progress in India represents a pivotal moment for both the company and the country. With regulatory approval in hand, strategic partnerships formed, and an ambitious rollout timeline underway, India is poised to become one of Starlink’s largest markets outside the United States. If successful, the initiative could radically transform connectivity for millions and support the broader goal of inclusive digital development across the subcontinent. As we move into the latter half of 2025, all eyes will be on Starlink’s deployment in India—and whether it can deliver on its promise to connect the unconnected.
