Musk’s Starlink Secures Final Regulatory Nod to Operate in India

As per a statement, the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe) has provided authorization to Starlink Satellite Communications Pvt Ltd for the establishment of a constellation of Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites known as Starlink Gen1.

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With the authorisation, the company will be able to offer satellite communication services in India.  As per IN-SPACe, the Starlink Gen1 Constellation comprises 4408 satellites orbiting Earth at altitudes ranging from 540 to 570 km, offering a throughput of 600 Gbps across India.

The SSCPL authorisation by IN-SPACe is valid for five (5) years from the date it was granted or until the Gen1 constellation’s operational life ends, whichever comes first.  The agency stated, “The provision of services is contingent on the specified regulatory requirements and necessary clearance/approval/license from the appropriate government department.”

In another significant advancement for the global satcom giant Starlink in India, the company has secured a crucial license from the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe) to begin commercial operations in the country.

According to three government officials cited by Reuters, this represents the last regulatory approval required for the company led by Elon Musk to commence operations.  Starlink obtained approval from the telecom ministry earlier in June, according to communications minister Jyotiraditya Scindia.

Companies must obtain approvals from the telecommunications department (DoT), TRAI, and IN-SPACe to operate satellite-based internet services in the country.

With this development, Starlink becomes the third entity to gain approval from IN-SPACe.  OneWeb India was granted approval in 2023, while Jio Platforms obtained regulatory permission in 2024 through its joint venture with SES, Orbit Connect India, to operate satellites for offering satellite-based internet services in India.

Starlink must now obtain government spectrum, establish ground infrastructure, and prove through tests and trials that it complies with the security regulations it has agreed to.

It is worth mentioning that spectrum allocation has been part of the government’s agenda for a while now.  In May, it was reported that the DoT was working to finalize the satellite spectrum allocation rules shortly and was expected to share the draft for feedback.  Nonetheless, there have been no additional advancements in this area.

Earlier, spectrum allocation became a contentious issue between Jio and Starlink for.

While Jio and other telecom operators supported an auction for spectrum allocation to ensure fairness, Starlink advocated for administrative allocation.  The Indian government, however, has predominantly aligned itself with Starlink by making a decision to allocate spectrum through administrative means.

In March, Jio entered into an agreement with Starlink to provide the latter’s satcom services to its customers in India, despite differences regarding spectrum allocation.  At that time, Starlink also signed a similar agreement with Airtel.

It was reported last month that Starlink would set the price of its monthly subscriptions in India at between INR 3,000 and INR 4,200, while its kit (which includes a satellite dish and WiFi router) will cost INR 33,000.