Bharti Airtel Ltd. said on Tuesday it has signed an agreement with Elon Musk's SpaceX to bring Starlink's high-speed satellite-based internet services to India, according to an exchange filing.
This marks Starlink's first agreement in India, though it remains subject to regulatory approvals for SpaceX to offer its services in the country.
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In June 2023, Musk had expressed interest in launching Starlink in India during a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New York, saying Starlink could be “incredibly helpful” in delivering internet to remote villages that lack on-ground infrastructure.
As part of the partnership, Airtel and SpaceX will explore ways to complement and expand Airtel's existing services through Starlink's satellite connectivity. This includes plans to offer Starlink equipment via Airtel's retail stores, deliver services to business and enterprise customers, and connect underserved communities, schools, and healthcare centres in rural and remote parts of India.
The companies will also assess how Starlink can enhance Airtel's network and how SpaceX can leverage Airtel's ground infrastructure and other capabilities across India.
By adding Starlink's low-earth orbit satellite connectivity—in addition to its existing partnership with Eutelsat OneWeb—Airtel said it will further strengthen its ability to offer nationwide coverage, connecting previously underserved regions.
“Starlink will complement and enhance Airtel's suite of products to ensure reliable and affordable broadband for our Indian customers — wherever they live and work,” said Gopal Vittal, managing director and vice chairman of Bharti Airtel.
“The team at Airtel has played a pivotal role in India's telecom story, so working with them to complement our direct offering makes great sense for our business,” said Gwynne Shotwell, president and chief operating officer of SpaceX.
In November 2023, OneWeb, backed by Bharti Airtel, received approval from the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre to launch commercial satellite broadband services in India—becoming the first organisation to secure such authorisation from the Indian government.
In December 2023, Airtel also acquired a minority stake in privately-owned OneWeb, which aims to offer high-speed, space-based internet globally.
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