Starlink

SpaceX has reinforced its role as a dominant force in commercial spaceflight with the successful launch of a Falcon 9 rocket carrying a new batch of Starlink satellites into low-Earth orbit. The mission underscores the company’s steady progress in expanding its satellite-based broadband network, aimed at delivering high-speed internet across underserved and remote regions worldwide. Executed with precision, the launch also highlighted SpaceX’s hallmark capability of reusable rocket technology, strengthening its cost efficiency and launch cadence.

Elon Musk’s Starlink, a subsidiary of SpaceX, has conducted a demonstration of its satellite internet services in Mumbai, marking a crucial step toward its official launch in India. The company is engaging closely with the Indian government to ensure full compliance with national security and regulatory frameworks, including data routing and domestic infrastructure requirements. As India pushes for digital inclusion in remote and rural areas, Starlink’s entry could reshape the country’s broadband ecosystem.

Elon Musk’s Starlink, a subsidiary of SpaceX, has conducted a demonstration of its satellite internet services in Mumbai, marking a crucial step toward its official launch in India. The company is engaging closely with the Indian government to ensure full compliance with national security and regulatory frameworks, including data routing and domestic infrastructure requirements. As India pushes for digital inclusion in remote and rural areas, Starlink’s entry could reshape the country’s broadband ecosystem.

On September 28, 2025, SpaceX successfully launched 28 Starlink satellites into low Earth orbit from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. This mission, designated Starlink Group 11-20, marks a significant milestone in SpaceX's efforts to expand its satellite internet network. The launch not only enhances global broadband coverage but also underscores the company's advancements in reusable rocket technology.

Mission Overview

Elon Musk’s Starlink project, aimed at revolutionizing satellite-based internet access, appears to be approaching India with tempered expectations. With a proposed cap of only 20 lakh user connections, the company’s plans seem more cautious than disruptive. Despite India’s massive digital appetite and underserved rural regions, regulatory bottlenecks, spectrum issues, and geopolitical sensitivity surrounding satellite communication are likely shaping the subdued rollout.

Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite internet service is on the cusp of launching in India, following the recent acquisition of its operating licence. With a device price pegged at Rs 33,000 and a monthly unlimited data plan costing Rs 3,000, Starlink aims to revolutionize internet access, particularly in underserved rural and remote regions. Offering speeds between 25 and 220 Mbps through a constellation of low Earth orbit satellites, the venture promises reliable connectivity independent of traditional fibre or mobile infrastructure.

SpaceX’s Starlink has achieved a significant regulatory milestone by obtaining the Global Mobile Personal Communication by Satellite (GMPCS) licence from India’s Department of Telecommunications (DoT), following rigorous security compliance verification. This positions Starlink as the third satellite communication provider licensed in India after OneWeb and Reliance Jio. The approval clears the path for trial spectrum allocation and eventual commercial rollout, subject to further clearances from the Indian space regulator, In-SPACe.

India's telecom regulator, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai), has defended its proposal to impose a 4% spectrum usage charge on satellite communication providers such as Starlink. Addressing concerns raised by terrestrial operators like Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel, Trai emphasized that satellite networks are not in direct competition with traditional telecom infrastructure due to significant differences in capacity and coverage.

India’s satellite internet landscape is on the brink of a transformational shift as the government signals openness to more industry players, citing the need for broader connectivity in underserved and rural areas. With firms like Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel already holding licenses, and Elon Musk’s Starlink inching closer to regulatory approval, competition in the space-based broadband sector is heating up.

In a recent meeting, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal engaged with a delegation from Starlink, the satellite internet service provider, to discuss the company's technological advancements, ongoing partnerships, and future investment plans in India. The discussions come amid growing interest from major telecom companies like Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel, both of which have entered agreements with SpaceX, the parent company of Starlink.