Starlink gets govt licence, to join Jio & OneWeb in India’s satcom race

In a major boost to Elon Musk’s Starlink, India’s telecom ministry has granted the company a key licence to offer satellite communication services, Reuters reported citing sources on Friday.

The go-ahead is expected to make Starlink a major player in India’s telecom industry providing satellite communication services. Before this, only Airtel-backed Eutelsat OneWeb and Jio Satellite Communications held similar licences.

The announcement comes a day after Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia confirmed Starlink’s entry as India’s third licensed satellite internet provider, alongside Jio and OneWeb.

“And after this, the government will provide the spectrum. Subsequently, satellite telecom services will be fully operational in the country at a rapid pace. I am sure the customer base in India will grow substantially,” Scindia said, adding, “Starlink’s satellite connectivity is like a new flower in the telecom bouquet.”

Background

Starlink had been awaiting regulatory clearance to begin commercial operations in India since 2022, but its application was repeatedly delayed. Amazon’s Project Kuiper is still in the queue for a similar licence.

A significant point of contention, earlier this year, was the debate over how satellite spectrum should be allocated. Starlink argued that satellite spectrum should be administratively assigned rather than auctioned. The Indian government ultimately supported this position, paving the way for Starlink’s approval.

However, this decision sparked opposition from traditional telecom operators. A group representing Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel—India’s largest telecom players—raised concerns that assigning spectrum at low prices could disadvantage terrestrial service providers. In a letter dated 29 May to the telecom ministry, the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) criticised the regulator’s proposal that satellite companies pay only 4 per cent of their annual revenues as licence fees. The association argued that terrestrial operators face significantly higher upfront auction costs, resulting in spectrum-related payments approximately 21 per cent greater than those required from satellite providers.

Meanwhile, in March 2025, Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel also signed agreements with SpaceX to distribute Starlink’s satellite internet services in India.