Key Highlights :
Starlink has been granted its final Indian regulatory clearance by IN-SPACe to provide satellite broadband services in India until July 2030.
The firm then needs to acquire spectrum, build gateway stations, and clear security tests before becoming commercial.
Key Background :
Starlink’s foray into India’s satellite broadband market was a cautious and calculated move. It started with its filing of the application for the GMPCS licence with the Department of Telecommunications in 2022. The license was finally granted in 2024 on the condition of fulfilling India’s security requirements such as local data storage, lawful interception facilities, and gateway station installation in India.
The green light was officially given in July 2025 by IN-SPACe, India’s national space agency regulator. The go-ahead enables Starlink to provide services across certain satellite bands of frequencies and employ geostationary and LEO satellites in providing services. The move gives Starlink the ability to provide broadband connectivity to consumers, businesses, and government customers in the Indian subcontinent for five years.
To proceed, Starlink must now obtain spectrum by way of an official allocation procedure. Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has already made recommendations on satellite spectrum prices and distribution procedures. Following implementation of these, the Department of Telecommunications will provide trial spectrum to Starlink so that it can show network preparedness and compliance.
Parallel to the regulatory drive, Starlink has established a hub for its operational presence in India. It has entered into commercial agreements with domestic VSAT players for enterprise and government enterprise service delivery. It will also likely partner with telecommunication behemoths Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel to provide logistics, distribution, and installation services for market penetration.
But its greatest challenge for Starlink will be the cost. In comparison to India’s lowest-cost broadband and 5G services—based on a Telecom regulator report”—Starlink satellite service will be a high-end one at 10 to 15 times higher cost. This may hinder consumer mass adoption, particularly in price-sensitive rural areas, unless government or private players subsidise it.
For all the cost barrier, Starlink’s selling point—providing high-speed internet in zones with minimal or no ground connectivity—is what brings it into the reckoning to fill India’s digital void. The service is ideally designed for off-grid areas, border checkposts, and disaster zones that need freedom from communication chokeholds.
Although Starlink is closing in on launching commercial operations, it is entering a crowded market with established players like Eutelsat-OneWeb and Jio-SES already in the fray. Amazon’s Project Kuiper will also be one of them. But with all the final clearances under its belt, Starlink today is a definite leader in India’s nascent satellite broadband market.