Starlink Says Indian Infrastructure Ready, Awaits Government Approval

Starlink announced that its Indian network is fully set up but still needs official clearance before it can start commercial service. Speaking at the 10th India Mobile Congress in Delhi, Lauren Dreyer, vice‑president of Business Operations at SpaceX, said the company has spent five years coordinating with regulators, industry players and operators to shape its system for India. She added that the ground segment includes twenty gateway stations equipped with hundreds of antennas, and that all user data will be stored within the country to meet security rules. The launch has been held up by security concerns raised by enforcement agencies. During last year’s winter parliamentary session, Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia explained that satellite internet firms must obtain clearances and demonstrate compliance with spectrum and gateway requirements before they can operate. He noted that the government has provided a sample spectrum for testing. Starlink, along with Eutelsat OneWeb backed by Bharti and Jio Satellite Communications, has already secured licences. Dreyer said the firm has signed memoranda of understanding with Airtel and Jio and is consulting state governments on how to reach remote communities. She highlighted that India’s digital economy is expanding rapidly, yet the “last mile” remains hard to connect, and Starlink can deliver service in minutes rather than years. A brief display of pricing on the Starlink India website in December – ₹8,600 a month plus a ₹34,000 hardware fee – was later blamed on a configuration error, with Dreyer confirming that final pricing and orders will wait until clearances are granted.

Context

India’s push for domestic data storage and secure satellite links reflects broader concerns about foreign control of critical infrastructure. The requirement to host international gateways inside the country is part of that policy framework.