'New Flower In Telecom Bouquet' – Telecom Min Jyotiraditya Scindia Confirms Elon Musk's Starlink Entry In India

In a major development for India’s telecom landscape, Elon Musk’s Starlink is all set to become the third satellite internet company to receive a license from the Indian government, joining the ranks of Reliance Jio and Bharti’s OneWeb.

On Thursday, Minister for Communications Jyotiraditya Scindia confirmed this during a press interaction. “In the coming days, the third license will be provided,” he said, referring to Starlink.

He further added, “And after this, the government will provide the spectrum. Subsequently, satellite telecom services will be fully operational in the country at a rapid pace. I am sure the customer base in India will grow substantially.”

Describing the broader transformation in India’s telecom sector, Scindia said, “Starlink’s satellite connectivity is like a new flower in the telecom bouquet.”

He highlighted how far the telecom ecosystem has come, “Earlier, there was only a fixed line. Today, there is mobile connectivity and broadband connectivity. Optical fibre connectivity has also come in. Along with these, satellite connectivity is also very important.”

Scindia also pointed out the critical role satellite services will play in boosting internet access in remote areas, “Internet penetration can only be increased through satellite communication services, especially in remote areas where laying wires and installing towers would be difficult.”

Starlink Joins Hands with Jio and Airtel

After initially opposing the administrative allocation of spectrum to Starlink, both Jio and Airtel have now entered partnerships with the American satellite company to expand their connectivity offerings. These partnerships are aimed at leveraging Starlink’s advanced satellite technology alongside Jio and Airtel’s deep market reach.

"The pact between Jio and SpaceX enables the companies to explore how Starlink can extend Jio’s offerings and how Jio can complement SpaceX’s direct offerings to consumers and businesses."

This collaboration hopes to combine Jio’s position as the world’s largest mobile operator in terms of data traffic and Starlink’s status as the leading low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite operator, ensuring high-speed broadband even in India’s most remote areas.

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Airtel is also optimistic about the future of this partnership.

Bharti Airtel Managing Director and Vice Chairman Gopal Vittal said, “Working with SpaceX to offer Starlink services to Airtel customers in India is a significant milestone and further demonstrates the company’s commitment to next-generation satellite connectivity.”

Airtel also stated, “The agreement will enable Airtel and SpaceX to further explore how Starlink can complement and expand Airtel’s offerings, and how Airtel’s expertise in the Indian market could complement SpaceX’s direct offerings to consumers and businesses.”

These developments come in the backdrop of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit to the US and his meeting with Elon Musk, during which Starlink’s entry into India was discussed.

Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal had also met a Starlink delegation in mid-April, where he shared, “Starlink’s cutting-edge technology platform, their existing partnerships and future investment plans in India,” were discussed.

What About Vodafone Idea?

Vodafone Idea (Vi), which is still struggling to recover in a duopolised telecom sector, has also shown interest. In March, Vi confirmed the company is “in exploratory talks with various satellite communication providers, including Starlink,”

This came just days after Airtel and Jio announced their deals with the Musk-led firm. In a space increasingly dominated by Jio and Airtel, analysts say partnerships may be the only strategic path left when direct competition becomes too challenging.