SpaceX’s VP of Starlink Business Operations took to X to defend the company amidst reports that a planned expansion into India has hit a snag.
According to an earlier Bloomberg report, the Indian Government has frozen approvals for Starlink to begin operations in the country. According to the anonymous source, the freeze was issued by Indian security agencies due to concerns about the use of Starlink satellite terminals in the Iran War.
Later in the day, Lauren Dreyer, the VP of Starlink Business Operators, set the record straight, or so we think, about the current Indian expansion. She posted on X:
Starlink remains in active and productive discussions with the Government of India, contrary to misleading stories based upon unsubstantiated claims from anonymous sources. We have worked with the Government through all of the required regulatory and compliance processes in a transparent and responsible manner.
We have heard nothing but encouraging feedback on Starlink’s capabilities and its potential to advance India’s connectivity ambitions, especially in remote and underserved regions. We remain fully committed to India and to working with the Government to bring Starlink’s services very soon to the country.
The rift comes as the Indian Government has approved licences for two other space companies to begin commercial operations. Both Eutelsat OneWeb and Jio-SGS now hold licenses and are awaiting spectrum allocation to launch their commercial services. So, if SpaceX can get over this latest snag, they will be the third to market.
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