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Satellite communications

Starlink Receives Final Regulatory Approval to Operate in India

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

The Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre (IN-SPACe) has granted its approval to Starlink, a multinational provider of satellite communication (satcom) services, on 8 July 2025. This authorization comes after years of efforts by Starlink to secure licences from the Indian government. With this approval, Starlink joins Jio-SES and Eutelsat OneWeb as the third satcom firm to be authorized by the relevant Indian authorities. India is now poised to welcome Starlink, which will offer its services in the country using its Gen 1 LEO (Low Earth Orbit) satellites, capable of delivering data speeds of up to 600 Gbps.

Key Takeaways:

  • Starlink has received the final regulatory approval required to operate in India from the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre (IN-SPACe) on 8 July 2025.
  • Starlink is subject to strict national security regulations, like other satcom providers in the Indian market.
  • The company has received the GMPCS (Global Mobile Personal Communication by Satellite) licence last month, which allowed it to roll out its services in India using its Gen 1 LEO satellites.
  • Indian telecom giants Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel have expressed their intention to collaborate with SpaceX to distribute Starlink's hardware to customers through their nationwide retail networks.
  • Starlink has not announced its pricing for the Indian market yet, but an announcement is expected soon after the Indian government declares spectrum pricing and outlines the allocation process.
  • Satcom operators, including Starlink, are expected to receive spectrum through an administrative allocation model, although this process has not yet commenced.
  • The Gen 1 LEO satellites used by Starlink are capable of delivering data speeds of up to 600 Gbps and there are 4,408 of these satellites in operation overall.

Statistics:

  • 8 July 2025: IN-SPACe granted Starlink its approval to operate in India.
  • 600 Gbps: The data speeds that the Gen 1 LEO satellites used by Starlink are capable of delivering.
  • 4,408: The total number of Gen 1 LEO satellites in operation overall.

Sources:

  • Voice&Data Bureau The Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre (IN-SPACe)
  • Copyright 2025 Cyber Media (India) Ltd., distributed by Contify.com

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