IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnav posted on Starlink’s entry, then later deleted it
Union Information Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnav on Wednesday welcomed Elon Musk’s company Starlink to India. Then deleted the post. In a post on the social media platform ‘X’, Railway Minister Vaishnav wrote, ‘Starlink welcome to India! Will be useful for remote railway projects.’ The post was removed after about an hour. The country’s largest telecom companies Airtel and Jio have signed agreements with Starlink. These agreements are to provide Starlink’s satellite-based internet services. But, approval from the government is necessary.
On Tuesday, Airtel announced an agreement with SpaceX. SpaceX is Elon Musk’s company. This will bring Starlink services to India. Schools, hospitals and institutions in remote areas will be able to connect. Gopal Vittal, MD and Vice Chairman of Bharti Airtel Limited, said, ‘It is a great achievement to provide Starlink to Airtel customers in collaboration with SpaceX. It shows our commitment to next-generation satellite connectivity.’ Sunil Bharti Mittal, founder and chairman of Bharti Enterprises, said, ‘Like 4G, 5G and further 6G, now we will have another technology, i.e. SAT-G.’
Jio announced after Airtel
On Wednesday, Jio Platforms Limited announced its agreement with Starlink. Reliance Jio Group CEO Matthew Oman said, ‘Our collaboration with SpaceX strengthens our resolve to bring Starlink to India. This is a transformational step towards seamless broadband connectivity for all.’ He further said, ‘By adding Starlink to Jio’s broadband system, we are expanding our reach. We are improving the reliability and availability of high-speed broadband in this AI era. Empowering communities and businesses across the country.’
SpaceX President and COO Gwynne Shotwell said that the company is waiting for approval from the Government of India. He said, ‘We appreciate Jio’s commitment to furthering India’s connectivity. We look forward to working with Jio and obtaining authorization from the Government of India to provide access to Starlink’s high-speed internet services to more people, organizations and businesses.’
Starlink looking for an opportunity to enter from 2022
Starlink has been trying to enter the Indian market since 2022. Initially Airtel and Jio opposed it. At the 2024 India Mobile Congress, Sunil Mittal had said that satellite companies should also buy spectrum and pay license fees like traditional telecom companies. Jio also took a similar stand. On this, Elon Musk had said that the demand for an auction-based approach is ‘unprecedented’. He also questioned whether getting approval for Starlink’s operations in India is ‘too much trouble’.
What dilemma is the government in?
Ashwini Vaishnav welcomed Starlink, but later deleted the post. This shows that the matter may still be under discussion inside the government. The arrival of Starlink will increase the reach of internet in remote areas of India. It can bring a revolution in education, health and other sectors. However, the concerns of existing telecom companies are also justified. The government will have to find a way in which the interests of all stakeholders can be taken care of. It remains to be seen when and on what terms Starlink is allowed to operate in India. This can prove to be a turning point for the Indian telecom industry.
