New Delhi: Starlink, the satellite internet arm of Elon Musk’s SpaceX, has moved closer to launching its services in India after reportedly receiving a Letter of Intent (LoI) from the Department of Telecom. While the final licence is still pending, the approval allows the company to begin groundwork toward offering satellite-based internet access across the country.
“Yes, Starlink has been issued LoI by the DoT for GMPCS, VSAT and ISP licences in India,” a government official told Moneycontrol. “The final licence will be given once Starlink is able to fulfil all licence conditions,” the official added.
The clearance has arrived amid signs that the Indian government may be factoring in strategic considerations, including ongoing trade discussions with the United States. A report by The Washington Post cited an Indian official as saying, “It’s not likely to be an explicit element of the trade negotiations with the US, but the Indian side sees this as an important lubricant that facilitates a deal.”
Once operational, Starlink could compete with players like OneWeb, which already provides satellite broadband services in India through a partnership with Airtel. Both Airtel and Jio had signed agreements with SpaceX in March 2025, contingent on regulatory approval. These partnerships would allow the two telecom companies to sell Starlink equipment and services through their retail and digital platforms.
Jio had announced that it would make Starlink available through its stores and online channels once the rollout begins. Airtel, apart from retailing Starlink hardware, is also exploring ways to integrate it into its existing network and provide back-end infrastructure support to SpaceX within India.
Starlink’s internet network works through a constellation of low-Earth orbit satellites and is designed to provide high-speed internet access in remote and underserved regions. Unlike fibre or cable broadband, the system does not depend on terrestrial infrastructure, making it particularly suited to rural and geographically difficult areas.
When the service goes live in India, expected download speeds may range from 25 Mbps to 220 Mbps, with upload speeds between 5 Mbps and 20 Mbps. Latency is estimated to remain between 25 to 50 milliseconds, sufficient for most common internet use cases including video streaming, gaming and remote work.
The rollout could potentially unlock a billion-dollar opportunity for SpaceX, with estimates suggesting that even a 1% share of India’s consumer broadband market could generate close to $1 billion in annual revenue.
Earlier this week, Starlink also launched services in Brazil, adding to its growing list of active markets.
BI Bureau
