Elon Musk-owned Starlink has received a license from the government to operate and provide satellite internet services in the country, sources told NDTV Profit on Friday.
Sources from the Department of Telecommunications confirmed that Starlink complied with the latest security norms related to GMPCS and more authorisations are underway.
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Earlier this week, Telecom Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia told NDTV Profit in an exclusive interview that India is moving steadily towards allowing satellite internet providers such as Starlink to operate in the country.
“We are eager to have that auction in India for our customers as soon as possible,” Scindia said. He added that the telecom ministry is “company agnostic and customer-centric” in its approach.
Starlink had recently secured a Letter of Intent from the Department of Telecommunications, a key milestone before full licensing, according to people familiar with the matter. The DoT is optimistic about issuing Starlink full licence by mid-June, provided the company accepts all terms unconditionally, they had said.
The Letter of Intent outlines a comprehensive set of obligations designed to ensure “control, accountability, and a loophole-free entry” into India's telecom ecosystem, according to documents reviewed by NDTV Profit and people familiar with the matter.
Sources and a copy of the LoI reviewed by NDTV Profir said that Starlink's Indian arm is required to pay a non-refundable entry fee of Rs 1.60 crore. This covers the company's authorisations under the Unified Licence for GMPCS, VSAT, and ISP-A services, allowing it to provide their services pan India.
Scindia had highlighted that other players like OneWeb and Reliance already hold Satcom licences, and Starlink is “very close” to receiving theirs. “All players will have to get their approval from IN-SPACe in the second stage,” he explained, referring to the government's agency for space sector regulation.
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