Momentum around Starlink’s entry into India has grown sharply after a brief message from Elon Musk sparked fresh expectations of an upcoming rollout. The development comes at a time when the company’s leadership is in active talks with the government, raising hopes that long pending regulatory approvals may soon be completed.
The shift in sentiment began when Musk reacted to a post by Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia. The billionaire wrote, “Looking forward to serving India with @Starlink,” a short but meaningful statement that suggests India is becoming a priority market for the satellite internet provider.
The message followed a high level meeting in New Delhi between Scindia and Lauren Dreyer, Starlink’s Vice President of Business Operations. The minister described their discussion as part of efforts to expand satellite driven connectivity in rural and remote regions. Scindia highlighted that satellite services will be critical to achieving nationwide digital access where traditional networks continue to fall short. Dreyer later said that Starlink is ready to work “shoulder to shoulder” with the ministry to bring high speed connectivity across the country.
Musk also offered clarity on Starlink’s core value during a conversation on a podcast hosted by Nikhil Kamath. He said the service is meant for areas with weak or expensive internet options. According to him, “Physics is not on our side here. So, it’s not physically possible for Starlink to serve densely populated cities.” He added that only about 1 to 2 per cent of users in crowded urban regions could be supported, while the impact would be stronger in villages and small towns.
Recently, Starlink faced attention after its website briefly displayed what looked like India pricing. It showed a monthly fee of Rs 8,600 and hardware at Rs 34,000. The details spread quickly, but the company clarified that these figures were only “dummy test data” caused by a technical glitch. The listings were not final and were not intended to be made public.
For now, India remains marked as “pending regulatory approval” on Starlink’s availability map. However, industry discussions indicate progress in the approval process. Dreyer also shared optimism, saying, “We’re eager to connect the people of India and our teams are focused on obtaining final government approvals to turn service (and the website) on.” Starlink appears prepared to launch once the government gives the final clearance.
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