Musk says he’s ‘looking forward to serving India’ as Starlink executives meet Telecom Minister

Musk says he’s ‘looking forward to serving India’ as Starlink team holds talks with Telecom Minister

SpaceX chief executive Elon Musk on Wednesday signalled renewed momentum in Starlink’s India plans, saying he is “looking forward to serving India” with the satellite-based internet service. His comment came in response to Union Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia’s post after meeting senior Starlink leadership in New Delhi.

“Looking forward to serving India with @Starlink!” Musk wrote on X while reacting to Scindia's update on his meeting with Lauren Dreyer, Vice President of Starlink Business Operations, and other SpaceX officials.

Looking forward to serving India with @Starlink! https://t.co/RdfY0KQHN2

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 10, 2025

Scindia said discussions focused on expanding satellite-powered last-mile connectivity across India. “A pleasure to meet @LaurenDreyer, Vice President of @Starlink Business Operations (SpaceX) and the senior leadership team to discuss advancing satellite-based last-mile access across India,” he posted, adding that satellite technology would be key to bridging gaps in remote and rural regions as part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s digital inclusion agenda.

“As we work to advance PM @narendramodi ji’s vision of a digitally empowered India, satellite technology will play a pivotal role in extending connectivity to the most remote parts of the country & strengthening internet access to every citizen in rural and hard-to-reach regions, ensuring that digital inclusion accelerates broader development,” he said.

Starlink has been steadily advancing on regulatory and commercial fronts. The company received clearance from the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe) earlier this year and holds permissions to offer GMPCS services, VSAT services, and ISP Category-A operations.

Maharashtra recently became the first state to formally partner with the company, signing a Letter of Intent to deploy satellite broadband across underserved areas. The initiative is expected to support government institutions, remote communities, and public infrastructure that struggle with poor connectivity.

India’s telecom landscape is also shifting, with both Jio and Airtel partnering with Starlink to support distribution and customer reach—an area that has traditionally posed challenges for satellite players.

Starlink faced brief confusion after pricing details mistakenly appeared on its India website. Dreyer later clarified that the figures were placeholders uploaded due to a configuration error. The company is expected to launch premium plans at around ₹8,600 per month plus hardware charges once services commence, likely in late 2025 or early 2026. Current government guidelines cap the user base at 20 lakh, with permitted speeds up to 200 Mbps.

In a recent episode of Nikhil Kamath’s “People by WTF” podcast, Musk reiterated his interest in expanding Starlink’s reach to rural India. “SpaceX is doing great work with the Starlink program, providing low-cost, reliable internet throughout the world. We'd love to be operating in India,” he said.

Musk noted that Starlink is “much more effective in rural areas” because “it's not physically possible for Starlink to serve densely populated cities... maybe 1% or 2%...” but the technology is suited for regions where fibre and mobile towers remain inaccessible.

With IN-SPACe approval, Maharashtra’s LOI, and partnerships with major telcos underway, industry observers expect trial deployments to begin next year. If rolled out at scale, Starlink could offer an alternative connectivity lifeline across India’s remote districts, particularly in disaster-prone and infrastructure-deficient zones.