Elon Musk’s Starlink is reportedly on the brink of securing regulatory approval to roll out its space-based broadband services in India. According to initial reports, the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) has sought clarification from Starlink about its shareholding pattern. The response from Starlink has reportedly addressed these queries.
Sources close to the matter cited by the Economic Times suggest that Starlink’s response has set the stage for the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) to potentially issue a Letter of Intent (LoI) within the next few days, or at the latest, by the end of the current month. The LoI is seen as a crucial step towards formalising Starlink’s entry into the Indian market.
What next?
As per industry insiders cited by financial news publications, the Indian Department of Telecommunications is actively engaged in drafting a comprehensive note for the approval process.
This note is anticipated to be presented to Ashwini Vaishnaw, the Minister of Communications, and Neeraj Mittal, the secretary of the telecommunications department, for their review and approval. Upon receiving the green light from both Vaishnaw and Mittal, the Satellite Communications Wing (SCW) within the telecommunications department will grant the necessary permissions for SpaceX, the company behind Starlink, to commence operations within India.
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Recent reports also suggest that the issuance of the Letter of Intent could materialise as early as Wednesday (Jan 24). But the final timeline will depend on the swift approval process by key decision-makers in India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration.
What does it mean?
If Starlink successfully navigates through the final stages of regulatory approval, it will emerge as the third company to offer space-based broadband services in India.
This will also place Starlink in an exclusive league alongside Mukesh Ambani’s Jio Satellite Communications and Eutelast OneWeb, backed by Bharti Global.
What is the bottom line?
The potential entry of Starlink into the Indian market not only expands the options for consumers but also underscores the growing role of satellite technology in meeting the surging demand for high-speed internet connectivity in the world’s fifth-largest economy.
