India to Issue Licence to Elon Musk’s Starlink After Security Compliance, Says Telecom Minister

Union communications minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said Elon Musk-owned telecom company Starlink is likely to acquire a licence to operate in India soon. Scindia on Tuesday said the company has to comply with all the security-related requirements laid down by the telecom regulatory authority of India (TRAI), once that’s done, the license will be granted. 

“We are more than happy to give them (licence) if they (Starlink) comply with all the conditions. You have to look at it from a security perspective, making sure that all security concerns are addressed. Obviously, they are in the process of doing it,” said the minister, according to PTI. 

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After getting the satellite broadband services license or the global mobile personal communication by satellite services (GMPCS) license, the company will fulfill the first legal requirement to enter the Indian telecom sector. 

Earlier this year, the government asked Starlink to adhere to additional requirements like data localisation rules, including KYC details and customer information of Indian users to be stored in India. Another condition required the company to sign an undertaking that traffic over Indian waters and airspace should terminate only at a local gateway. 

Although the company hasn’t submitted the agreement yet, it has agreed to comply with the data localisation and security requirements, Moneycontrol reported earlier, citing sources. 

Previously, the department of telecommunication told the company that none of its stakeholders can be from countries sharing a land border with India. 

“The ownership issue had been a serious one and the government wanted to make sure that the company has no stakeholders from the country that shares a land border with India. That would’ve raised a red flag...,” the Economic Times reported, citing sources. 

While the government is welcoming Starlink, Indian telecos, including Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio, are getting anxious as the company’s entry is likely to challenge their dominance. The telecos have also voiced their concerns regarding administrative allocation of satcom spectrum. Both Airtel and Jio have pitched for the auction method and have suggested providing a level playing field, especially as foreign players, including Amazon, are eyeing India. 

Speaking at the India Mobile Congress (IMC) 2024, Bharti Enterprises chairman Sunil Bharti Mittal highlighted that the government should ensure new telecom providers entering the Indian telecom market must meet all legal requirements as done by traditional operators.