Starlink Nearing Government Approval for Satellite Internet Services in India

Elon Musk's Starlink, the satellite internet venture, is on the brink of receiving approval from the Indian government, potentially as early as next week. The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) is reportedly content with Starlink's clarification on its shareholding pattern, a crucial step towards regulatory consent.

If approved, Starlink will be the third company, after Jio Satellite Communications and OneWeb, to secure licenses for satellite communication services in India. This impending approval positions Starlink to make significant strides in India's evolving telecommunications landscape.

Sources suggest that the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) may issue a letter of intent (LoI) to Starlink as early as Wednesday. SpaceX, Elon Musk's company, has not yet responded to inquiries about this development.

The final steps involve the DoT preparing a note for approval by Neeraj Mittal, the telecom Secretary, and Ashwani Vaishnav, the Minister of Communications. Once their approval is obtained, the Satellite Communications Wing (SCW) will officially grant the necessary approvals to Starlink, allowing it to initiate its services in India.

Despite Mittal's current presence at the PanIIT 2024 Event in Washington DC and Vaishnav's attendance at the World Economic Forum in Davos, regulatory processes are expected to progress swiftly upon their return.