Elon Musk-led Starlink has received a Unified Licence to roll out satellite-based internet services in India, Union Telecom Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia announced on Thursday. A framework for spectrum allocation and gateway establishment is already in place to ensure a smooth launch.
The announcement coincided with the 30th anniversary of India’s first cellular call in 1995. Alongside Starlink, Bharti-backed Eutelsat OneWeb and Jio SES are also awaiting spectrum allocation to begin satcom services.
Scindia highlighted India’s rapid digital transformation under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, noting 1.2 billion telephone connections and a 286% surge in internet subscriptions to 970 million. Mobile data costs have dropped 96.6%, making India the global leader in affordable internet at just Rs 8.9 per GB.
India’s 5G rollout now covers 99.6% of districts with 4.74 lakh towers and 300 million users, while the country ranks among the top six globally in 6G patent filings. The revival of BSNL has also been marked by back-to-back profits after 18 years.
Industry leaders hailed the move as a milestone toward self-reliance and a boost for India’s Atmanirbhar Bharat vision, with potential to position the nation as a global innovation hub in telecom technology.
