Starlink Watch
Countries / Asia

Starlink in India

Starlink holds an Indian licence but cannot sell service until security clearances and spectrum are in place. Here is where things stand.

By Starlink Watch editors · Updated

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Elon Musk and India

23 entries in the Musk tracker

Documented statements and actions by Elon Musk and his companies concerning India's politics, government, courts or regulators, with the official response.

All 23 entries for India

Where things stand

As of October 2026 you cannot legally buy a Starlink subscription in India. The company holds a satellite communications (GMPCS) licence, but it has not started commercial service because security clearances and spectrum assignment are still pending (WION).

Starlink says it is ready. At India Mobile Congress on 7 October 2026, Starlink vice-president Lauren Dreyer said the company had built its Indian operations around local security rules, would keep Indian user data in the country, and had invested in 20 gateway sites (YourStory).

There is no official Indian price. In December 2025 Starlink's India web page briefly showed Rs 8,600 a month and Rs 34,000 for the kit. Dreyer said this was "dummy test data" shown because of a configuration glitch, and that it did not reflect what the service would cost (Storyboard18).

How we got here

Starlink first took pre-orders in India in 2021 without a licence. In November 2021 the Ministry of Communications told the public not to subscribe and told the company to stop bookings (FoneArena); Starlink later told Indian customers it would refund pre-order payments (MediaNama).

After an application process that began in late 2022, the Department of Telecommunications granted the GMPCS licence in June 2025 (Business Standard). The space regulator IN-SPACe gave its authorisation the following month (RCR Wireless). Since then the dispute has been over how satellite spectrum is priced and over security compliance.

  1. 2022
  10. 2023
  18. 2024
  43. 2025

What customers and officials report

Because there is no legal service, most records for India concern regulation and security rather than outages or billing.

  • Security concerns. In December 2024 security forces in Manipur recovered a Starlink-branded device alongside weapons. Elon Musk said the claim was false and that Starlink beams were turned off over India (Scroll.in).
  • Spectrum pricing dispute. During TRAI's consultation, Reliance Jio argued that satellite spectrum should be auctioned, while Starlink favoured administrative allocation (Light Reading).
  • Allegations of obstruction. In October 2026 Musk alleged without evidence that "oligarchs" were blocking Starlink, and later named Reliance's Ambani. The government rejected claims of bias. It said Starlink, Eutelsat OneWeb and Jio's satellite arm all face the same security compliance process (Light Reading).
  • Scam risk. Fact-checkers have warned that satellite internet could help scam networks get around domestic telecom controls. They cited reports of Starlink use in South-east Asian scam compounds (BOOM).

See all 286 reports

Regulators and open decisions

We found no court case in India involving Starlink. The open matters are administrative.

In September 2026 the Digital Communications Commission, the Department of Telecommunications' top decision-making body, reportedly approved a spectrum usage charge of 5% of adjusted gross revenue. Operators serving remote and hard-to-reach areas would pay 4%. The commission did not adopt TRAI's proposed Rs 500 annual levy per urban subscriber (Free Press Journal). Spectrum will be assigned administratively for five years. The decision still needs ratification by an inter-ministerial panel and the Cabinet (Swarajya).

Telecom minister Jyotiraditya Scindia has said the same security framework applies to all operators, and that any operator that complies will be allowed to operate (WION).

How to complain

  • Starlink. If you have a Starlink account, for example from the 2021 pre-order period, log in at starlink.com and open a support ticket from the Help Center. Replies arrive by email and in the account dashboard (DishyTech).
  • Consumer disputes. The government's National Consumer Helpline accepts grievances online, through its app, on WhatsApp or by calling 1915.
  • Fraud. Anyone selling "Starlink connections" in India before launch is not offering an authorised service. Report online financial fraud on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal or the 1930 helpline (Kerala Police).

What to watch

  • Ratification of the satellite spectrum charges by the inter-ministerial panel and the Cabinet (Swarajya).
  • Security clearances for Starlink, OneWeb and Jio's satellite arm, which the government says are under way (Light Reading).
  • Starlink's request for approval of its larger second-generation constellation, including direct-to-device service (WION).
  • A first official Indian price, once Starlink is allowed to take orders.

Courts and regulators

DateMatterTypeStatus
5 Nov 2026Starlink India delay driven by approval bottlenecks, not corporate pushback: ReportRegulatorReported
4 Nov 2026Bokaro News: Starlink opposes granting internet service clearance in India, demands denial of licenseRegulatorReported
2 Nov 2026Starlink India License: Govt responds to Starlink controversy, Scindia says no company will get monopolyRegulatorReported
2 Nov 2026An Alternative to Starlink: How Much Does a Safe Sky Cost—One That Won't Be Shut Down?RegulatorReported
2 Nov 2026Swadeshi Jagran Manch memorandum to President demanding denial of internet service to Starlink in India - swadeshi jagran manch urges President deny starlink India licenseRegulatorReported
1 Nov 2026Jagran Manch in Amroha burnt the effigy of Elon Musk: Starlink to be banned in India, Atal Chowk to...RegulatorReported
31 Oct 2026Starlink India: Satellite Internet service in India again in turmoil, seeks approval for more than 30,000 satellitesRegulatorReported
27 Oct 2026Demands denial of license to Starlink in IndiaRegulatorReported
26 Oct 2026India Nears Satellite Spectrum Pricing Decision as Starlink and Rivals Await Security ClearancesRegulatorReported
25 Oct 2026Complications with Starlink's approval in India, waiting for customersRegulatorReported
24 Oct 2026Accepting the ban on Starlink, Elon Musk said... "StarShield is under the control of the US government"RegulatorReported
24 Oct 2026Starlink Conflict Amid War: Zelensky Says No Sanctions Removed, Questions Over Musk and Trump's Statements | Zelensky Starlink Speed RestrictionsRegulatorReported
24 Oct 2026The Starlink controversy explained: What an Indian licence can and can’t controlRegulatorReported
23 Oct 2026SJM urges Centre to deny licence to Musk's StarlinkRegulatorReported
23 Oct 2026Centre not to license Starlink: Swadeshi Jagran ManchRegulatorReported
21 Oct 2026Cancel Starlink licence: Sandeep BansalRegulatorReported
21 Oct 2026Karnal News: Opposition To Granting A Licence To Starlink - Karnal NewsRegulatorReported
21 Oct 2026Demand for cancellation of Starlink licenses in Lucknow: Swadeshi Jagran Manch cites national security, ...RegulatorReported
21 Oct 2026Big way to Starlink! Satellite Spectrum Clearance, Rocket Speed Internet Service Could Be Launched SoonRegulatorReported
20 Oct 2026Musk-Ambani face-to-face on license! Starlink Claims: We Ready, Reliance Bid: Obey the LawRegulatorReported
17 Oct 2026Starlink says it is ready to connect India while Mukesh Ambani's Reliance advocates the “same process” for all: “Very much appreciated,” says MuskCourtReported
17 Oct 2026भारत में स्टारलिंक को लाइसेंस देने का विरोध, स्वदेशी जागरण मंच ने राष्ट्रीय सुरक्षा पर उठाए सवालRegulatorReported
17 Oct 2026Starlink Bol -We have been operating in India for 5 years: Ready to roll out high-speed satellite internet service, waiting for approvalRegulatorReported
17 Oct 2026लाइसेंस पर मस्क-अंबानी आमने-सामने! स्टारलिंक का दावा: हम तैयार, रिलायंस बोली: कानून मानना होगाRegulatorReported
17 Oct 2026Starlink responds to Reliance, says ‘worked closely with regulators, ready to connect India with high-speed internet'RegulatorReported
17 Oct 2026Starlink says built India’s infrastructure with requisite government approvals, ready to offer hi-speed internetRegulatorReported
16 Oct 2026Starlink Licensed in 165 Nations, Not Yet India [2026]RegulatorReported
16 Oct 2026Reliance of Ambani breaks the silence on Musk and claims that Jio is waiting for the same permissions as StarlinkRegulatorReported
16 Oct 2026Reliance responds to Musk's claims on Starlink's license; says they "welcome competition", emphasises "abiding by law"RegulatorReported
15 Oct 2026Starlink Sanctions Affect Ukraine's Drone Operations, Raising Concern Over US HelpRegulatorReported
15 Oct 2026Amid the controversy over Starlink, Bharti Enterprises Chairman enters, said- 'Musk is ahead in terms of approval...RegulatorReported
15 Oct 2026Expert endorsement of India's stance on Starlink licensingRegulatorReported
15 Oct 2026Iran calls Starlink a 'weapon of war', to impose tougher restrictions on internet useRegulatorReported
14 Oct 2026After Trump's Russian diesel deal, Musk's SpaceX imposed sanctions on Ukraine's military starlinks, causing a major blow to the battlefieldRegulatorReported
14 Oct 2026Why RSS affiliate wants Centre to deny Elon Musk's Starlink a licence for satellite internet in IndiaRegulatorReported
14 Oct 2026'5 साल से कतार में खड़े हैं... Starlink से कुछ दिन पहले मंजूरी मिल जाए तो खुशी होगी', सुनील भारती मित्तल का बड़ा बयानRegulatorReported
14 Oct 2026Swadeshi Jagran Mancha demands ban on Starlink in mask-Ambani clashRegulatorReported
14 Oct 2026Kelompok India Mendesak Pemerintah Blokir StarlinkRegulatorReported
14 Oct 2026I'm ahead of Musk in queue, applied for licence 5 years back: Mittal on Starlink row | 'My satellites hovering over India for 5 years' | InshortsRegulatorReported
14 Oct 2026What Sunil Mittal said on Musk's Starlink satellite's internet approval in IndiaRegulatorReported
14 Oct 2026Why does the RSS’s economic wing want Starlink blocked?RegulatorReported
14 Oct 2026Sunil Mittal on Starlink: 'Will be happy to get licence few days before Starlink'; says satellite broadband approvals still awaitedRegulatorReported
13 Oct 2026Swadeshi Jagaran Manch Demands Ban On Starlink In IndiaRegulatorReported
13 Oct 2026Swadeshi Jagaran Manch demands ban on Elon Musk's Starlink, says "significant threat to national security"RegulatorReported
13 Oct 2026RSS body demands ban on India entry of Elon Musks Starlink, cites national security risksRegulatorReported
12 Oct 2026Starlink Ban: किन-किन देशों में पूरी तरह बैन है स्टारलिंक, भारत में आने से कितनी बढ़ेगी इंटरनेट स्पीड? | In which countries is Starlink completely banned, and by how much will internet speeds increase once it arrives in India?RegulatorReported
12 Oct 2026Musk Calls Ambani India's "Prime Minister": Starlink Still Has No Licence, and New Delhi Says Nobody Is Being Left OutRegulatorReported
11 Oct 2026Musk Says India Blocked Starlink. Records Show Otherwise.RegulatorReported
11 Oct 2026Musk Pertanyakan Izin Starlink di India Usai Tertahan RegulasiRegulatorReported
11 Oct 2026Elon Musk Ngamuk ke Miliarder India Gara-gara Izin StarlinkRegulatorReported

All reports for India

All 286 reports for India