You may already know that Starlink is planning to launch in India, alongside existing giants like Jio and Airtel. Don’t know yet? No problem. After reading this article, you’ll know everything—what Starlink is, why it wants to enter India, what benefits it may bring, and what it means for existing players in the market. Let’s cover all aspects of Starlink in India.
What is Starlink?
Starlink is a subsidiary of SpaceX. It provides satellite-based internet. Their is no wired connections. Instead, your device connects directly to satellites orbiting above, providing internet access even in places where cables or towers can’t reach.
Why Does Starlink Want to Enter India?
The Indian market is a very big market with a population of 1.4 billion peoples. Even now, 40% of the people do not have internet. Rural areas, deserts, hills and many such remote areas where there is no internet even in mobile phones because there are no towers. So starlink can solve this problem. And this is one of the reasons Starlink India wants to come. They had already proposed this in 2020, but it has not come yet, there are many reasons behind it. But let’s talk about some of the main reasons.
Why Starlink Hasn’t Launched Yet
1. Regulatory Approvals and Security Concerns:
Starlink hasn’t received security clearance in India. All Indian telecom service providers are required to keep a record of what users access on the internet. If a foreign company like Starlink provides the service, then this data could be accessed by them, which raises security concerns. Until these issues are resolved, Starlink won’t get the license to operate.
2. Spectrum Auction Policy:
Elon Musk has raised concerns about India’s spectrum auction model. In India, companies need to bid in auctions to get access to spectrum (like for 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G). Elon Musk argued that since Starlink doesn’t rely on towers or local infrastructure, there’s no need to participate in expensive auctions. This disagreement is another reason for the delay.
Recently, when Prime Minister Modi visited the US, he met Elon Musk. They discussed innovation, space exploration, AI, and sustainable development. Starlink’s possible entry into India is seen as a result of that meeting.
Can Starlink Survive in India?
Even if Starlink launches in India, there’s a question of whether it can survive in this market. Yes, India population is very large, and 40% of the people who still don’t have internet, but those 40% people are still in the blue poverty line. Or there are people who have very less money to afford this thing. Starlink is very expensive compared to what Indian users currently pay. Let’s look at the pricing.
Starlink Pricing vs Indian Internet Prices
If I talk about a normal subscription of Starlink, how much speed and money it takes monthly. If I talk about the US, then their residential plan is around $80.
per month. $80 in India is around $6700 in which you get 25-100 Mbps speed. Now for an internet speed of $6700 per month. I am saying that these are US plants and people are very rich there. If we talk about our neighbouring country Bhutan, Bhutan also provides Starlink service in 100 countries. So the prices in Bhutan are around 3000 rupees.
I said around 3000 rupees because the Indian currency is 3000 and here also it will be 3000. And their standard plan where the speed has increased from 25 Mbps to 110 Mbps, the price is 4200 rupees per month. Now, where in India there are service providers like JIO, Airtel and BSNL who are giving 100 Mbps in 699 rupees per month, my own internet speed is 100 Mbps and I give only 470 rupees per month.
Now compare that with Starlink: even the setup cost is very high. The equipment required to connect to the satellite costs anywhere between ₹20,000 to ₹2.5 lakhs depending on the usage. For small-scale users, the basic setup will cost at least ₹20,000, plus a monthly charge of ₹4,500.
Mobile Compatibility and Limitations
You might wonder if you can connect directly from your mobile. As of now, only a few phones like iPhone 14 and 15 Pro models support satellite connectivity. Around 99% of mobile phones in India don’t have this capability. So, for now, you can’t connect directly to Starlink through your mobile. You’d need to install the setup dish at home to get internet on your phone via Wi-Fi.
Final Thoughts
Yes, Starlink brings some clear advantages, especially for remote areas. But those benefits come at a cost—literally. The price is high, and there are still many legal and regulatory hurdles before Starlink can launch in India.
So don’t believe the hype just yet. There’s still a long way to go.
Let us know in the comments—do you think Starlink will survive in the Indian market? Will it be a threat to national security? Can it offer internet at prices that Indian users can actually afford? What’s your take on Starlink?
If your questions about Starlink are now clear, drop a quick “Yes” or “No” in the comments. And if you found this useful, hit the subscribe button. Your support motivates us to keep creating more helpful content. Thanks for reading.
