Maharashtra First State To Collaborate With Starlink For Satellite-Based Internet

Maharashtra will be the first state in India to avail the Starlink satellite internet service, according to an announcement from Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday.

"It was wonderful to welcome Lauren Dreyer, vice president, Starlink in Mumbai today, where the Government of Maharashtra signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) with Starlink Satellite Communications Pvt. marking Maharashtra as the first Indian state to formally collaborate with Starlink to deploy satellite-based internet services," Fadnavis wrote in a post on social media platform 'X'.

Fadnavis said that the services will be used for government institutions, rural communities, and critical public infrastructure across remote and underserved regions and aspirational districts in Maharashtra such as Gadchiroli, Nandurbar, Dharashiv, and Washim.

"Elon Musk's Starlink is one of the largest companies in the ICT industry holding the largest number of communication satellites in the world, the CM. It is our honour that the company is arriving in India and partnering with Maharashtra," the Maharashtra CM said

The Maharashtra–Starlink collaboration supports the state’s flagship Digital Maharashtra mission and integrates with its EV, Coastal Development, and Disaster Resilience programs, his post said.

"With this landmark decision, Maharashtra will lead India in satellite-enabled digital infrastructure. This is a giant leap towards future-ready Maharashtra and setting the benchmark for Hon PM Narendra Modi Ji's Digital India mission at the grassroots," Fadnavis said.

He further said that this will be subject to Starlink's regulatory and compliance clearances from the Department of Telecommunication. The company also plans to set up nine gateway stations in India in cities like Mumbai, Noida and Lucknow.