Industry Odisha Bureau, Oct 10: Starlink holds a GMPCS licence but has not launched in India. Security checks and spectrum assignment remain pending. Even after approval, India’s cheap broadband market poses a tougher commercial test.
Starlink has spent more than four years trying to crack the Indian market. Elon Musk’s satellite internet company began its push in 2021. It now holds a key licence. Yet commercial services have still not started.
Security clearances and spectrum allocation still stand between Starlink and paying customers. Ground infrastructure and earth stations are also part of the remaining process.
The delay has turned public. Musk recently alleged that unnamed “oligarchs” were blocking Starlink’s entry. He later targeted Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani, accusing him of monopoly. These remain Musk’s claims, not established facts.
India has rejected the allegations. The Ministry of Communications called its satellite rules fair and non-discriminatory. It said three GMPCS licences have been granted for non-geostationary satellite services. Alongside Starlink, Eutelsat OneWeb and Jio Satellite Communications have received GMPCS licences. Jeff Bezos-owned Amazon Leo is also in contention for a licence.
The ministry said security assessments for all three licensees are underway. None has yet reached the spectrum assignment stage. Officials said all three stand at broadly the same regulatory stage. The ministry called discrimination claims baseless.
This explains the gap between licence and launch. A GMPCS licence is an important authorisation. But it does not by itself permit commercial broadband services. Security compliance and spectrum assignment are separate steps. Starlink applied for the licence in 2024 and received it in 2026.
Security weighs heavily on satellite internet decisions. Such networks can bypass land-based infrastructure entirely. In 2024, Indian officials said Starlink equipment surfaced in a drug-smuggling probe. That probe took place in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Equipment was also reportedly found during an army operation in Manipur. Neither report establishes wrongdoing by the company.
SpaceX executive Lauren Dreyer says Starlink has worked with Indian regulators for years. She said the company built India-specific security controls. According to Dreyer, Starlink has also built 20 gateway sites in India. She added that Indian user data would stay within the country.
Separately, India’s space regulator rejected Starlink’s Gen 2 constellation application. It cited features and radio frequencies, forcing the company to reapply.
Even full clearance may not solve Starlink’s bigger problem: economics. Pranav Koomar, founder of PlusCash, said approvals do not guarantee commercial success. He noted that satellite broadband needs heavy investment in satellites and ground infrastructure. That pushes up the cost per subscriber, Koomar argued. Such models suit markets with expensive broadband and few alternatives.
India is the opposite, with some of the world’s cheapest data prices. Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel enjoy huge scale and low consumer pricing. Matching them while protecting margins will be hard, Koomar said.
Pricing remains another open question. Starlink has not revealed final Indian prices. US plans start at $55 a month, varying by plan and location. That is not an Indian tariff. Affordability in rural areas remains a key concern.
Starlink is licensed in more than 165 countries. In India, it is still struggling to turn a licence into a launch. It needs final approvals and a price Indian users can afford.
