Gwynne Shotwell, President and COO of Elon Musk’s SpaceX, met with Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Tuesday, just days after Starlink secured a long-awaited licence from the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) to provide satellite internet services in India.
Minister Scindia described the meeting as “productive” with discussions focused on expanding collaboration in satellite communications to accelerate the goals of Digital India. “We delved into opportunities for collaboration in satellite communications to power Digital India’s soaring ambitions and empower every citizen across the country,” Scindia posted on X (formerly Twitter).
Had a productive meeting with Ms. @Gwynne_Shotwell, President & COO of @SpaceX, on India’s next frontier in connectivity. We delved into opportunities for collaboration in satellite communications to power Digital India’s soaring ambitions and empower every citizen across the… pic.twitter.com/gGiCLC5e1C
— Jyotiraditya M. Scindia (@JM_Scindia) June 17, 2025
He emphasized the transformative nature of satellite technologies in bridging the connectivity divide and noted that Shotwell welcomed the licensing as a “great start” for Starlink’s journey in India.
Starlink, SpaceX’s satellite internet venture, is now the third company—after Eutelsat OneWeb and Jio Satellite Communications—to receive a licence to offer satellite-based broadband in India. Amazon’s Project Kuiper remains under regulatory review.
Unlike traditional geostationary systems, Starlink operates a low Earth orbit (LEO) constellation at around 550 km above Earth. With over 7,000 satellites currently in orbit and plans to expand to over 40,000, the system delivers high-speed, low-latency broadband suitable for video streaming, gaming, and video conferencing—even in remote and underserved regions.
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Starlink’s licence approval follows the company’s strategic agreements with Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel, who together account for over 70% of India’s telecom market. These partnerships are expected to play a key role in facilitating the rollout of Starlink’s services across the country.
