Starlink India approval
Elon Musk and the Indian government have publicly clashed over the proposed launch of Starlink services in India. Musk alleged that domestic business interests were blocking the company. The government said Starlink, along with two other licensed satellite operators, must complete security assessments and secure spectrum-related approvals before starting commercial operations.
The Department of Telecommunications said security assessments were under way for Starlink, Reliance Jio’s Jio Satcom and Bharti-backed Eutelsat OneWeb. The three companies were broadly at the same regulatory stage, it said.
Minister of State for Communications Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani said the pending security clearance issue was with the Ministry of Home Affairs and was not specific to one company. The government described its authorisation framework as “fair and non-discriminatory” and called the allegation of selective blocking “baseless and misconceived”.
The dispute followed allegations Musk made on X the previous day. He said Starlink had spent five years complying with every Indian government law and requirement, asking: “Starlink is licensed in over 165 countries and has spent five years complying with every single law and requirement of the government of India, so why still no license?”
Musk also asked, “Ambani is the real boss of India?” He said Starlink’s satellite beams had been switched off over India and denied that its services could have been used by militants in Manipur.
The government’s response came while the India Mobile Congress was under way. Sunil Bharti Mittal said Bharti’s satellite venture was also waiting for regulatory approvals. Starlink said it was ready to begin operations in India.
Lauren Dreyer said the company had invested in infrastructure designed to meet Indian regulatory and security requirements. The source says Starlink has built 20 gateway sites in India, with hundreds of antennas, and established controls intended to keep Indian user data within the country.
The government has said satellite broadband could help extend connectivity to remote and underserved areas, subject to security and data-protection requirements. Commercial services cannot begin until the three licensees complete the required security assessments and spectrum-related approval process.
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