Elon Musk’s Starlink has received the green light from the Indian government to provide satellite internet services in the country, according to two officials familiar with the matter. The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has issued a Letter of Intent (LoI) following Starlink’s agreement to adhere to critical national security-related licensing conditions, one of the officials revealed.
🚨 Starlink receives govt clearance to offer satellite internet services in India pic.twitter.com/fykjxWWayS
— Stocktwits India 🇮🇳 (@StocktwitsIndia) May 8, 2025
This approval places Starlink alongside Eutelsat OneWeb and the Jio-SES joint venture in India’s satellite internet market. The announcement coincides with the government’s recent move to tighten security norms for satellite communication providers, including requirements for data localization, lawful interception, gateway security clearance, and phased local manufacturing.
“As part of the process, the company has been issued the LoI. They will begin preparations to launch services in the country,” the second official said, adding that demonstrations will be conducted before the final license is granted.
Starlink had applied for the Global Mobile Personal Communication by Satellite (GMPCS) license in 2022—a regulatory prerequisite for satellite-based communications in India. The company is also required to secure authorization from the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACE) for its satellite constellation and planned capacity deployment in India.
On May 6, Minister of State for Communications Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani stated that Starlink’s application was in its final approval stages. Last month, senior Starlink executives met with Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal to expedite clearances and discuss expansion plans for the Indian market.
Meanwhile, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) is finalizing its recommendations for allocating satellite spectrum, which will enable satellite providers to commercially roll out services. For Eutelsat OneWeb and Jio, the government similarly issued an LoI before granting GMPCS licenses for satellite communication.
As part of its deployment strategy, Starlink will now be required to establish earth station gateways—ground-based facilities that connect satellites to local networks, ensuring internet connectivity across the region.
In March, SpaceX, Starlink’s parent company, entered into partnerships with Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio Platforms to potentially distribute Starlink equipment through their retail networks and offer satellite-based services to business customers, educational institutions, and healthcare centers.
Globally, Starlink operates the largest satellite constellation, with over 6,750 satellites currently in orbit. Indian telecom operators, which once resisted satellite-based competitors to limit market disruption, are now exploring collaborations with Starlink to meet the growing demand for high-speed connectivity.
Analysts believe Starlink’s entry could significantly narrow the digital divide, particularly in India’s underserved rural regions. According to a Bernstein report dated March 4, nearly 40% of India’s population lacks internet access, with rural areas representing the majority of this gap—a substantial market opportunity for Starlink’s satellite internet services.
