Linkedin Starlink now joins Airtel-backed Eutelsat OneWeb and Reliance Jio Satellite Communications as the third company to be granted a GMPCS license in India In sum – what you need to know: Starlink enters India – Elon Musk’s satellite venture has secured a GMPCS license, clearing the path to offer broadband services across the country pending final spectrum allocation. Trial phase soon – Starlink will receive trial spectrum within 15–20 days to showcase technical and security compliance under India’s strict satellite communications framework. Tight rules, fierce race – With Airtel-OneWeb and Jio already licensed and Amazon Kuiper awaiting approval, India’s satcom market is heating up under tight data residency and interception norms. Elon Musk’s Starlink has officially received the green light to offer satellite-based broadband services in India, according to local press reports. On June 6, the company was granted the Global Mobile Personal Communication by Satellite (GMPCS) license, which is key regulatory requirement for commercial satellite operations in the Asian nation. According to government sources, Starlink executives had recently held meetings with senior officials from the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) in New Delhi to accelerate the process. The reports also noted that company is expected to receive trial spectrum within 15 to 20 days of application, allowing it to demonstrate technical and security compliance before launching full-scale services in the country. Starlink now joins Airtel-backed Eutelsat OneWeb and Reliance Jio Satellite Communications as the third company to be granted a GMPCS license in India. Amazon’s Project Kuiper is still awaiting regulatory approvals from the DoT, the reports added. Eutelsat OneWeb received its GMPCS license in August 2021, while Jio Satellite secured its authorization in March 2022. However, both companies waited nearly two years before receiving the final permit from India’s space regulator, which finally approved their operations in November 2023 and June 2024, respectively. Starlink’s license follows a letter of intent issued last month by the DoT, which was granted after the company agreed to comply with India’s security and regulatory norms. India has implemented stringent operational requirements for satellite communications, including legal interception capabilities. Service providers are also barred from linking customer data or services to infrastructure located outside the country and are prohibited from processing user data beyond national borders. In addition, the rules stipulate that companies must indigenize at least 20% of their ground infrastructure within a few years of launching operations. Operators are also required to receive separate security clearances for each satellite gateway and hub site in India, and must comply with specific monitoring and lawful interception infrastructure requirements, the reports added. Starlink’s full-scale commercial rollout in India depends on spectrum allocation. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) recently submitted its recommendations on pricing and licensing terms to the government. The spectrum allocation is expected to be carried out through an administrative process by the government and not via auction. Once operational, these satellite services companies are expected to significantly expand internet access across rural and remote areas in India. Earlier this year, Indian carriers Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio Infocomm had announced separate agreements with SpaceX to offer Starlink’s broadband services to customers in India once the latter secured all permits.