India has officially cleared the way from space to the beam internet for the Starlink of Elon Musk. SpaceX’s satellite broadband arm has been given a license to launch services in the country, a step that claims to add some of the most remote areas in India. According to a Press Trust of India (PTI) report, Starlink’s high speed internet service costs around Rs 3,000 per month, although the availability will be limited initially. But there is much more in it. Here is the whole story in 5 digits.

India is coming to Elon Musk’s Starlink: Story in 5 digits

Starlink satellite license for internet

Union Telecom Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia confirmed that Starlink has been awarded an integrated license for working in India. According to PTI, “Framework for spectrum allocation and gateway establishment is ready, ensuring smooth rollouts.”

The approval given by the Department of Telecommunications in July comes after a process that first began in 2021, but was delayed by regulatory investigation and spectrum distribution issues.

Jio, Airtel, BSNL to complement

Development was confirmed by the Minister of State for Telecom, Pemmasani Chandra Sekhar, who said that Starlink has now been approved to operate in India. This service will rely on Lowerth Orbit (Leo) satellites to provide broadband connectivity, rather than competing with existing providers like Jio, Airtel and BSNL, rather than competing with existing providers, especially in cities and large cities where traditional telecommunications network already installed well.

To support the rollout, Starlink Hardware, including a satellite dish and WiFi router, will allegedly be distributed through partnership with Indian telecom companies including Airtel and Jio. These firms have entered the infrastructure system with Spacex to help customers serve across the country.

Pricing and hardware

Reports suggest that SpaceX will charge users around Rs 33,000 for the Starlink hardware kit, including a satellite dish, Wi-Fi router and growing equipment. Once established, membership will cost around Rs 3,000 per month for unlimited data, with entrywell publicity plans, it is expected to start around Rs 850 per month.

Internet speed is expected to be between 25 Mbps and 220 Mbps. Initially, service will have dominated two million users across India, which are focused on areas where traditional internet use is limited.

The competition gets hot

The arrival of Starlink increases the increasing list of companies to give internet from space. The Jio’s joint venture with Bhartibacked YouTelst OneWeb and Luxembourg’s SES has already been approved, but like Starlink,, like the Starlink, are waiting for spectrum before rolling commercial services.

India’s more than 65 percent of rural population still lacks reliable internet, according to IAMAKANTAR ICUBE Report 2023, satellite broadband is seen as an important tool to bridge the country’s digital division.

For future

Looking forward, Starlink is preparing for a significant technological upgradation that promises enough jump in internet performance. According to several online reports, the next generation of Starlink satellites, due to launching in 2026, will be able to provide more than 1,000 GBPS capacity per satellite. This advancement download speed can increase the speed ten times faster than those currently available, which can make the service in limited connectivity more valuable.

With the regulator green light, now in hand, spotlight spectrum allocates firmly. Once this final barrier is cleared, Starlinks will start offering satellite-operated internet to Indian users, the goal of broadband with musk that Tesla did for electric cars.