Hajra Naz
The Indian government has officially granted a license to Elon Musk’s Starlink, paving the way for what Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia called “India’s next frontier of connectivity.”
Starlink, a satellite internet service operated by SpaceX, aims to deliver high-speed internet to remote and underserved regions using a constellation of low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites. While the move holds major potential for expanding digital access, it has also ignited debates in India over spectrum allocation and concerns about predatory pricing in the telecom sector.
Minister Scindia revealed that he had a “productive meeting” with Gwynne Shotwell, President and COO of SpaceX. According to the minister, Shotwell welcomed the licensing decision, describing it as “a great start to the journey.” He shared the update on X (formerly Twitter)—the social media platform now owned by Musk.
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This development follows announcements in March by Jio Platforms and Bharti Airtel—two of India’s largest telecom providers—of their agreements with SpaceX to bring Starlink’s satellite internet services to Indian users.
However, Starlink’s arrival in India hasn’t come without tension. Elon Musk has clashed with Mukesh Ambani, Asia’s richest man and owner of Jio Platforms, over how satellite spectrum should be allocated—whether through auctions or administrative assignments. The disagreement underscores a broader policy debate in India’s fast-evolving telecom sector.
Although Musk’s current footprint in India is largely limited to his social media company X, his electric vehicle company Tesla is also preparing for its much-anticipated entry into the Indian market, suggesting that the billionaire’s business interests in the country are about to expand significantly.
