'A new flower in...': Elon Musk's Starlink to soon get licence to operate in India confirms Jyotiraditya Scindia 

India is preparing to open its skies to Elon Musk’s Starlink. Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on June 5 confirmed that Starlink will soon join Reliance Jio and Bharti's OneWeb as the third satellite internet provider licensed to operate in the country. The government will allocate spectrum once the license is issued, marking a critical step toward broader satellite-based internet services.

“In the coming days, the third license will be provided,” he said, referring to Starlink.

“And after this, the government will provide the spectrum. Subsequently, satellite telecom services will be fully operational in the country at a rapid pace. I am sure the customer base in India will grow substantially,” Scindia said.

“Starlink’s satellite connectivity is like a new flower in the telecom bouquet,” he said, explaining the progress of the telecom ecosystem in the country.

He traced India’s telecom evolution — from fixed lines to mobile and broadband, to optical fibre — stressing the importance of adding satellite services to the mix.

Scindia emphasised that satellite communication is vital for extending internet access to remote and underserved areas where traditional infrastructure is hard to deploy. “Internet penetration can only be increased through satellite communication services,” he said.

But even as Starlink edges closer to entry, India’s largest telecom operators have raised alarms. Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel, through the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), have objected to the proposed pricing model for satellite spectrum.

In a letter dated May 29 to the telecom ministry, COAI warned that undervaluing satellite spectrum — by avoiding auctions and instead charging a 4% annual revenue fee — could tilt the field unfairly in favour of companies like Starlink. Traditional telecom firms, they noted, pay hefty sums through auctions for similar access.

Starlink has reportedly advocated for the revenue-sharing model, which aligns with global norms that treat spectrum as a shared natural resource, rather than a commodity to be auctioned.