Athira Sethu
Kochi, 30 April 2025
Elon Musk’s satellite internet company Starlink is planning to launch its services in India. For this, it is negotiating with various Indian firms such as BSNL (a state-owned telecom company), Hughes, and Tata Group’s Nelco, reported Economic Times. Starlink is looking to partner with a plethora of partners to rapidly expand its operations in the country.
The company can sell its internet services directly but also in partnership with other telecom and broadband firms. Similar to its agreements with Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel, Starlink likes to enter into non-exclusive reselling agreements. This way, several companies are permitted to sell Starlink services simultaneously.
Vodafone Idea, another large Indian telecom operator, recently indicated that it is also investigating potential partnerships with Starlink and other satellite communication firms, the report said.
Starlink’s internet service is fueled by thousands of satellites in orbit. Currently, it operates more than 4,400 first-generation satellites and over 2,500 second-generation satellites. In the future, the company will launch as many as 30,000 second-generation satellites. This will provide Starlink with a much greater capacity than other satellite internet companies such as Eutelsat OneWeb or Reliance Jio-SES.
To facilitate its services in India, Starlink will establish three ground stations in Mumbai, Pune, and Indore. It will also have a central point of connection, referred to as a point of presence, in Mumbai.
Senior executives from Starlink recently visited India’s Commerce Minister, Piyush Goyal, earlier this month to consider investment strategies and potential alliances for the future. Starlink has also laid out its mission of linking rural and far-off remote regions in India, such as areas in the North-East and rural zones.
Starlink is still awaiting final approvals from India’s Department of Telecommunications (DoT). Starlink has acquiesced to most of the government’s regulations, such as the establishment of a control center within India and not passing data through nations bordering India by land. The two sides are still negotiating certain issues, including establishing monitoring zones along India’s international borders.
Experts opine that India’s space industry is likely to touch $44 billion by 2033.
