New Delhi, May 28 – Elon Musk’s satellite internet venture, Starlink, is preparing to launch its services in India, aiming to offer low-cost connectivity in one of the world’s largest telecom markets, according to industry sources and media reports.
Starlink, along with rivals Eutelsat OneWeb, backed by Bharti Group, Reliance Jio’s joint venture with SES, and Globalstar, is set to provide high-speed internet via satellites, potentially reaching remote and underserved areas not covered by traditional broadband infrastructure.
While final pricing has not been officially announced, analysts expect Starlink to offer unlimited data plans at promotional rates under $10 (roughly 840 rupees) per month to gain market share. “The strategy is to price services affordably—below $10—to encourage adoption and distribute fixed costs across a broader customer base,” said Ashwinder Sethi, Partner at consultancy Analysys Mason.
Despite the aggressive pricing, the upfront cost of hardware may pose a hurdle. Globally, Starlink’s equipment kits are priced between $250 and $380 (21,300 to 32,400 rupees), a steep investment compared to India’s fiber broadband offerings, which bundle high-speed internet and streaming services at lower costs.
Starlink has received a letter of intent from India’s Department of Telecommunications (DoT) but is still awaiting final clearance from the national space regulator, reports said. In contrast, competitors Eutelsat OneWeb and Jio-SES have already secured regulatory approvals and are expected to commence services soon.
Analysts caution that Starlink’s reach in India may be constrained by technical limitations. According to IIFL Research, Starlink’s current satellite fleet supports up to 4 million users worldwide. Even with an expanded constellation of 18,000 satellites, it may only be able to serve around 1.5 million subscribers in India by the fiscal year 2030.
India’s share in global satellite coverage is estimated at just 0.7% to 0.8%, meaning only 700–800 satellites would be overhead at any given time. This contrasts sharply with India’s extensive terrestrial telecom infrastructure, which includes over 800,000 towers and 3 million base transceiver stations.
Proponents argue that satellite internet’s independence from ground infrastructure offers a transformative opportunity for rural connectivity. However, analysts stress that its scalability and affordability will depend on Starlink’s ability to overcome regulatory and logistical barriers in a highly competitive market.
