Starlink Clears Final Barrier to Enter India's Satellite Market Amid Spectrum Controversy

Elon Musk's Starlink has recently received a green light for commercial operation from India's space regulatory body, according to three informed sources. This approval marks the final regulatory hurdle for the satellite service provider entering the Indian market.

Starlink, a SpaceX subsidiary led by Musk, has been seeking commercial operation clearance in India since 2022. Last month, it secured a crucial license from India's Department of Telecommunications, but was still awaiting approval from the space department.

As of now, neither Starlink nor the Indian space department has responded to requests for comments on this development.

With this approval, Starlink becomes the third company to receive authorization to provide satellite services in India. Prior to this, the Indian government had given the go-ahead to OneWeb, a subsidiary of European satellite company Eutelsat, and Reliance's Jio.

Moving forward, Starlink will need to obtain spectrum resources from the Indian government, establish ground infrastructure, and prove compliance with safety regulations through testing and trials.

There has been ongoing debate between Musk and Mukesh Ambani's Jio over how satellite service spectrum should be allocated in India. Ultimately, the Indian government sided with Musk's proposal that the spectrum should be granted through allocation rather than an auction process.