Elon Musk's Starlink is on the verge of securing approval from India's space regulator, marking a step toward launching commercial satellite broadband services in the country. The company has submitted the required details to the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre (IN-SPACe) and is awaiting a final decision. This will be Starlink's first regulatory approval in India, according to an ET report.
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Regulatory Hurdles and Compliance
Starlink still requires a Global Mobile Personal Communication by Satellite (GMPCS) license from the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and spectrum allocation before it can commence operations. While the company has agreed to most key provisions, certain conditions—such as setting up monitoring zones near international borders—remain under discussion, according to the report.
To comply with security regulations, Starlink has:
Agreed to geolocation-based restrictions, preventing unauthorised movement of user terminals.
"Starlink has also agreed to set up its network control and monitoring centre in India and it also won’t be routing data through gateways in countries sharing land borders (with India)," the report quoted a source as saying.
Musk's company currently has no gateways in India's land-border countries. However, it has committed that if it establishes gateways there in the future, India-generated data will not be routed through them, according to the source.
Additionally, Starlink has declined to monitor terminals outside India's sovereign territory, a condition that remains under government review.
Starlink has yet to agree to setting up monitoring zones across India's international borders and provisioning services across the country, including certain areas of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. "Starlink has told the government that it would not provide monitoring of terminals or users located outside the sovereign territory of India," the report cited the source as saying.
Current regulations require companies to provide monitoring facilities within 10 kilometers of international borders for law enforcement agencies (LEAs). "The government will take a call if relaxation can be given on this condition based on inputs from LEAs before a final decision is taken (on grant of GMPCS license to Starlink)," the source reportedly said.
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Spectrum and Industry Impact
A fierce debate over spectrum allocation is unfolding. While Starlink and Amazon Kuiper seek administrative allocation without auctions, telecom companies Jio, Airtel, and Vodafone Idea demand an auction-based system to ensure fair competition. The government has decided to allocate spectrum administratively but with a charge.
Amazon has warned that high spectrum prices could force satellite operators to shift focus to urban areas, limiting internet expansion in remote regions and creating direct competition with local telecom firms.
India's Space Economy and Market Outlook
India's space economy is projected to grow to USD 44 billion by 2033, increasing its global share from 2 percent to 8 percent. While Jio-SES and Eutelsat OneWeb have already secured GMPCS licenses, Starlink and Amazon Kuiper are still awaiting approval.
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With over 6,000 satellites in orbit, Starlink is poised to transform India's broadband landscape, bridging digital divides in underserved areas. However, final regulatory decisions on border monitoring requirements and spectrum pricing will determine its path forward.
