SpaceX may soon get approval to offer Starlink services in India. A meeting to discuss the application is scheduled for the end of the month, according to a source. At this time, the service is expected to be approved.
Starlink may finally get the go-ahead from the telecom ministry to begin offering services in India. The company’s application was pending before the Home Ministry due to a security review. The meeting is scheduled for September. Barring any unexpected circumstances, it is expected to be approved, a source told the Times of India.
“A high—level meeting is slated for later this month and Starlink’s proposal for a global mobile personal communication by satellite (GMPCS) services license is expected to be taken up there,” said a top official on condition of anonymity. “The meeting is likely to give approval to the proposal, though we cannot rule out certain last-minute hiccups that may cause some more delays.”
Once Starlink receives GMPCS, it will need to obtain some other approvals from various government departments, among them the Ministry of Space. Only after receiving all approvals, the company will be able to officially begin accepting orders and work toward launching operations. Currently, One Web and Jio have received the GMPCS license.
In July, Starlink applied to the Indian National Space Promotion & Authorization Center (IN-SPACe) for permission to install ground stations. This was an important step towards entering the local market. However, at the moment, there has been no news about the possible approval of this application. This year, India changed its space policy. Foreign companies are now allowed to build infrastructure and offer satellite communications services in India. India’s new Space Policy 2023 has empowered IN-SPACe to act as the sole agency to authorize the full range of space activities.
