India Approves License for Musk’s Starlink Service

NEW DELHI: The Indian government has issued a license for Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite internet service, marking what officials call the “next frontier of connectivity” for the nation, according to the country’s communications minister.

The introduction of Starlink, which offers high-speed internet by utilizing low Earth orbit satellites, has ignited an intense discussion across India on various topics, including pricing strategies and spectrum distribution.

Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia mentioned that he had a “constructive meeting” with Gwynne Shotwell, the president and COO of SpaceX, the parent company of Starlink.

Shotwell expressed her gratitude for the license awarded to Starlink, viewing it as a significant step forward in their mission, as mentioned by the minister on Elon Musk’s social media platform, X, late Tuesday.

This development follows announcements from India’s leading telecom providers, Jio Platforms and Bharti Airtel, which secured agreements with SpaceX in March to bring Starlink internet to their users.

Elon Musk has had his share of disagreements with Mukesh Ambani, Asia’s richest man and owner of Jio Platforms, particularly regarding the distribution of satellite spectrum.

While Musk’s ventures in India are primarily concentrated on X at present, his electric vehicle company, Tesla, is also preparing to establish a presence in the country.