• Starlink has received a letter of intent from India’s DoT after agreeing to comply with new national security guidelines.
  • The company must still obtain IN-SPACe approval and satcom spectrum before launching services in India.

Elon Musk-led Starlink is one step closer to launching satellite communications (satcom) services in India, having reportedly received a letter of intent (LoI) from the Department of Telecommunications (DoT). The preliminary green light comes after the company agreed to comply with the Centre’s newly released national security guidelines for satcom operators.

This development follows the DoT’s rollout of 29 new requirements for satcom licensees, including data localisation, interception mechanisms, and terminal location tracking.

An official cited by the Economic Times stated, “They have accepted the security terms.”

Reluctance on Border Monitoring and Shareholding

During prior discussions with the DoT, Starlink had raised concerns about two specific mandates: monitoring terminals near international borders and ensuring a majority Indian shareholding. However, the government ultimately dropped both conditions. The monitoring requirement was considered to conflict with the Telegraph Act of 1885, while the FDI policy already permits 100% foreign ownership, negating the need for majority Indian control.

Starlink must now secure approval from the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre (IN-SPACe) and obtain spectrum allocation before launching services. The company has reportedly submitted the necessary documents to IN-SPACe. Meanwhile, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) is expected to recommend pricing for the administrative allocation of satcom spectrum soon.

Competitive Landscape and Industry Movement

The development positions Starlink ahead of rivals such as Bharti Enterprises-backed Eutelsat OneWeb and Jio-SES, who currently hold licences for fixed satcom services and may require further approvals to expand. Starlink is expected to offer mobility services under the GMPCS licence.

As global players like Amazon’s Project Kuiper and Globalstar gear up for India’s satcom market, the race intensifies, with spectrum allocation emerging as the key roadblock for many.

Edited by Harshajit Sarmah