India an open market, Starlink must tick all the boxes for licence: Telecom minister Scindia

"I see satcom’s role as very complementary in terms of providing connectivity," Scindia said.

Starlink must meet all application guidelines to secure a license in India, the government remains company-agnostic and open to competition in the satellite broadband sector, Union Minister for Communications and Development of the North Eastern Region, Jyotiraditya Scindia told Moneycontrol on Tuesday.

“The market is open for anyone who wants to come and operate in India, provided they fill up the pro forma, get the license, avail of the spectrum—which would be administratively assigned—and get into operation,” Scindia told Moneycontrol on Tuesday.

On Starlink’s pending applications since 2021, Scindia clarified, “That is between the company and the application process. They have to check off all the boxes, and the minute they do that, they will get their licence.”

Reaffirming the government’s pro-competition stance, he added, “I'm company-agnostic and consumer-focused, and therefore, I need to give choice to my consumer. For instance, a consumer will decide whether he wants to go on broadband or mobile, and I have to provide that choice.”

Scindia highlighted the growing role of satellite-based communications in India, particularly in disaster management and connecting underserved regions.

“I see satcom’s role as very complementary in terms of providing connectivity. So is the case in India. We've got two licences that have already been given out to OneWeb and Jio-SES. And our market is open for anyone who wants to come and operate in India, provided they fill out the pro forma, get the licence, avail of spectrum, and get into operation.”

Meanwhile, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) is expected to announce spectrum pricing soon. After that, the government will allocate spectrum based on TRAI’s recommendations, he said,

Bharti Airtel and Jio Platforms recently announced partnerships with SpaceX to bring Starlink’s high-speed satellite internet service to India, aiming to enhance connectivity in remote areas. However, Starlink is still awaiting regulatory approvals and spectrum allocation for low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite operations.

Moneycontrol reported on March 12 that  SpaceX and Starlink are likely to secure faster approvals from India’s telecom department and IN-SPACe following their tie-ups with Jio and Airtel. This could also pave the way for Amazon’s Kuiper to gain similar regulatory clearances.

SpaceX has already submitted the necessary details for Starlink’s Global Mobile Personal Communication by Satellite (GMPCS) license and agreed to key conditions, including setting up a ground station and a network control centre in India. Sources suggest the Department of Telecommunications and IN-SPACe may soon process Starlink’s application.

Disclosure: Moneycontrol is a part of the Network18 group. Network18 is controlled by Independent Media Trust, of which Reliance Industries is the sole beneficiary.