Elon Musk’s Starlink Is Set To Launch In India: Joining Hands With Airtel

Indian telecom giant Airtel has signed an agreement with Elon Musk’s SpaceX to launch the highly anticipated Starlink satellite internet service in India.

SpaceX has long aimed to bring Starlink to India, but recent months saw a dispute with billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s company over how the country should allocate spectrum for satellite services. The Indian government has supported Musk’s stance, advocating that spectrum should be assigned, not auctioned. However, Starlink’s license application is still under review.

Airtel stated that the agreement is conditional on SpaceX obtaining the necessary approvals to sell Starlink in India. The collaboration will see SpaceX and Airtel working together to provide Starlink devices and services to business customers, schools, healthcare centers, and remote areas.

Additionally, the companies will explore ways to enhance Airtel’s network to support Starlink, while SpaceX may utilize Airtel’s ground network infrastructure and other capabilities in India.

This announcement comes just weeks after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with Elon Musk in Washington, where they discussed space exploration, mobility, technology, and innovation.