Elon Musk’s Starlink is reportedly set to enter the Indian market after receiving a Letter of Intent (LoI) from the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) for a satellite communication (satcom) licence, marking a major milestone in its bid to provide satellite broadband services in the world’s second-largest telecom market.
The LoI for the Global Mobile Personal Communication by Satellite (GMPCS) permit was granted after Starlink agreed to comply with the updated security conditions issued on May 5, 2025.
The next step for the firm is to secure approval from the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre (IN-SPACe). Upon receiving both regulatory clearances, the company is expected to be allocated test spectrum to demonstrate its services.
However, for launching commercial operations, Starlink will have to wait, alongside Eutelsat OneWeb and Jio-SES, which have already received all necessary approvals, for satellite spectrum allocation from DoT. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) is soon expected to release pricing recommendations for administrative allocation of satellite spectrum.
Further, Starlink’s acceptance of the revised security conditions followed the government’s decision to drop two contentious requirements, related to special monitoring zones and shareholding patterns, that the company had earlier resisted during consultations. Their removal eased the pathway for Starlink to obtain the GMPCS licence.
