New Delhi: US billionaire Elon Musk-led satellite communications company Starlink is ready to work with India and is hopeful of receiving the final approvals soon from the government to start services, a senior executive of the company said on Wednesday.
“We have built our Starlink operations specifically for India in recognition of Indian security requirements and other regulations, establishing controls at every layer for India and keeping Indian user data within India. We have already made the investment and built the existing ground infrastructure here — 20 gateway sites comprising hundreds of antennas — and we have established the operations to be ready to serve India,” Starlink Business Operations vice president Lauren Dreyer said at the India Mobile Congress 2026 here.
“Hopefully, next time I address the Congress, the government’s work will be complete, and Starlink will be authorised and ready,” she remarked.
Dreyer said the company has been preparing specifically for the Indian market for the past five years and has kept Indian security requirements in mind while establishing its operations.
Dreyer said Starlink has already established Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with Airtel and Jio as part of its preparations to serve customers in India.
“We have been setting up relationships in India, speaking to regulators for the past five years,” Dreyer said.
She pointed out that India had already built connectivity at scale with affordable data and a rapidly growing digital economy, but the last mile remained the most challenging area to connect.
“It’s also where Starlink offers the biggest potential to help accelerate the speed to connect 100 per cent of India,” she added.
Starlink is awaiting the Indian government’s security clearance and approval for foreign direct investment. The company has already got clearances from IN-SPACe and the Global Mobile Personal Communication by Satellite licence.
“We are standing ready to serve India once India is ready. We’re ready to work with the government. We are ready to work with operators and with industry to this end. We are ready to help Prime Minister Modi achieve his vision of 100 per cent connectivity throughout India — a vision all of our company, including Elon, shares,” Dreyer said.
Dreyer also highlighted Starlink’s continued engagement with India’s space economy. She said SpaceX and India have been working together and highlighted the company’s role in carrying India’s astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla to and from the International Space Station.
(IANS)
