Elon Musk’s Starlink has received final approval from India’s space regulator, clearing the last major regulatory hurdle to begin commercial satellite internet operations in the country, according to three sources familiar with the matter who spoke to Reuters.
The satellite internet provider had been awaiting commercial licenses since 2022. While it secured a critical license from Department of Telecom in June, it still required clearance from the Department of Space. With that now granted, Starlink is officially set to enter the Indian market. Both Starlink and the space department declined to comment.
Starlink becomes the third company to gain regulatory approval to operate satellite services in India, joining Eutelsat’s OneWeb and Reliance Jio. To begin operations, Starlink must still acquire spectrum from the government, establish ground infrastructure, and successfully complete tests to prove it complies with agreed security protocols. Earlier DoT had said that the company will be allocated spectrum in 15-20 days of applying for it.
Starlink will also have to comply with the security norms, such as providing access for lawful interception.
The development follows a prolonged dispute between Musk and Indian billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s Jio over how spectrum for satellite services should be allocated. Ultimately, the Indian government supported Musk’s stance that spectrum should be assigned directly rather than auctioned.
