Starlink gets conditional nod for India operations

Starlink and the Indian Department of Telecommunications did not immediately respond to Reuters emails asking for comment.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk attends a cabinet meeting at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., April 10, 2025 / REUTERS/Nathan Howard

The Indian government has agreed to a conditional nod for SpaceX's Starlink to start offering satellite-based internet services in the country, television news channel CNBC-TV18 reported on May 8.

Starlink and the Indian Department of Telecommunications did not immediately respond to Reuters emails asking for comment.

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Starlink in March signed agreements with Indian telecom operators Bharti Airtel, Vodafone Idea and Reliance Industries Jio, in moves that would give the U.S. firm greater access to the world's most populous nation.

Elon Musk and Mukesh Ambani, who chairs the Reliance conglomerate, were at loggerheads over how airwaves should be assigned for satellite internet, with New Delhi finally siding with the allocation approach the U.S. billionaire lobbied for.

Starlink has been waiting since 2022 for licenses to operate commercially in India. New Delhi had long-delayed clearances for reasons including national security concerns.

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