Union minister for information & technology and railways Ashwini Vaishnaw on March 12 posted a welcome message for Elon Musk-led Starlink's entry to India before deleting it around an hour later on social media platform X.
“Starlink, welcome to India! Will be useful for remote area railway projects,” the minister said in a post on X before deleting it. The post signalled government's support for Starlink's partnership with Jio Platforms and Bharti Airtel, hinting that regulatory approvals may soon follow. However, removal of the post now puts a question mark over that.
Starlink recently has inked agreements with Jio Platforms and Bharti Airtel to bring satellite internet services to India.
India's largest telecom operator will stock Starlink equipment in its retail stores, giving Starlink a direct distribution point in thousands of such outlets across the country.
Starlink’s regulatory approvals to gain speed with Jio and Airtel deals
Musk and Ambani had fought intensely over how airwaves should be assigned for satellite internet, with New Delhi finally siding with the allocation approach the U.S. billionaire lobbied for.
The Reliance deal follows a similar partnership announcement between Starlink and India's No. 2 telecom player Bharti Airtel a day before. Both the Airtel and Jio deals are conditional upon Starlink obtaining government approval to begin operations in the country.
With Reuters inputs
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