Starlink said it is ready to begin serving India, a day after Reliance Industries said it welcomes satellite competition but expects every operator to obey Indian law.
“Starlink is ready to connect India with high-speed internet,” the company said in a post on X.
Reliance said in its own statement on X that it welcomes rivals in satellite communications, but that every player, Jio included, must follow the country’s laws and policies. It added that the government applies the same process to all applicants, Indian or foreign, and that Jio’s satellite services are also awaiting clearances.
Starlink, Reliance Jio and Eutelsat OneWeb have all received licences to offer satellite communication services in India. Amazon’s Project Kuiper is still seeking one. Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said spectrum would be assigned once the government finalises a revenue-sharing framework and companies meet security requirements.
Starlink said it has spent more than five years working with Indian regulators, industry and operators. It said it has built dedicated in-country systems and gateways to serve only Indian traffic, and that it holds the requisite government approvals.
The exchange follows allegations by Elon Musk that “certain oligarchs” were blocking Starlink’s entry into India. He later named Reliance chairman Mukesh Ambani in a series of posts. Reliance rejected the claim, and the government has also dismissed it.
The services are expected to bring connectivity to remote areas where laying conventional broadband is difficult.