The Ministry of Communications said Oct. 8 that Starlink must complete security reviews before seeking spectrum in India, a prerequisite on its path to service, but set no timetable.
The ministry said assessments were underway for three licensed satellite operators. Each may seek spectrum assignment after completing its review, and the ministry described the companies as being at roughly the same point in the approval process.
The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) lists Starlink Satellite Communication Private Limited, Jio Satellite Communications Limited and OneWeb India Communications Private Limited among its Global Mobile Personal Communication by Satellite (GMPCS) licensees. The government issued Starlink a Unified Licence on June 6, 2025, covering GMPCS, Commercial VSAT CUG and Internet Service Provider (ISP) ‘A’ authorizations, after the company accepted terms that included security conditions.
SpaceX Chief Executive Elon Musk alleged in an Oct. 7 post that unnamed “oligarchs” were blocking Starlink’s entry into India; he did not name a company. The ministry said claims that India’s regulatory framework was unfair or discriminatory were baseless. Reliance Industries said Oct. 16 that it welcomed competition, including Starlink, and that Jio’s satellite services were also awaiting clearances.
Bharti Airtel and Jio Platforms Limited announced agreements with SpaceX in March 2025 to explore Starlink sales, subject to required Indian authorizations. Airtel said it would consider sales through its stores and business services; Jio Platforms said it would explore retail and online sales. Neither announcement named a customer price or launch date.
In May 2025, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) recommended an annual charge of 4% of adjusted gross revenue plus 500 rupees per urban subscriber. It proposed exempting rural and remote users from the added per-subscriber charge and said the government could consider terminal subsidies for targeted subscribers in unserved or underserved rural and remote areas.
The Economic Times and Business Standard reported that the Digital Communications Commission approved a proposed charge of 5% of adjusted gross revenue, with a 1 percentage point reduction in government-notified rural and remote areas; both said Cabinet action remained pending. Mint reported that further approval steps remained. The ministry’s Oct. 8 statement did not confirm a final rate. Completion of each security assessment is the next step the ministry identified before an operator may seek spectrum assignment.
