Elon Musk’s Starlink, the satellite internet arm of SpaceX, appears to be finally clearing the Indian skies. After a long wait, the service is reportedly nearing rollout in India, having secured a key regulatory nod.
If all goes as expected, Starlink could offer internet plans starting at just ₹850 per month—among the lowest globally for satellite broadband. But the story’s not that simple.
Starlink has bagged a Letter of Intent (LoI) from the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), giving it preliminary clearance to kickstart operations. That’s a major milestone for the company, which has previously struggled with red tape and licensing hurdles.
The move suggests that Starlink’s long-awaited entry into India may not be far off, with the company now reportedly ironing out the final steps before commercial roll-out.
The part that’s grabbing headlines is the potential launch of plans starting as low as $10 (around ₹850) per month. That’s eye-poppingly cheap when compared to the service’s rates elsewhere. In the US, Starlink’s most basic offering goes for roughly $80 (₹6,800) a month—and even that comes with deprioritised data speeds during peak hours.
So, how is Starlink able to go this low in India? Industry watchers say the plan is simple: scale. The company is reportedly eyeing a user base of up to 10 million subscribers across the country. With a large enough customer base, the hope is that upfront infrastructure and spectrum costs can be recovered over time.
Also in the works are offers bundling unlimited data, at least in the beginning, to lure customers—particularly in rural and remote areas where decent internet is still a luxury.
There’s a twist in the tale. India’s telecom regulator, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), is believed to have proposed an urban surcharge of ₹500 per customer per month. If this kicks in, users in cities could see their bills go up considerably bringing Starlink’s price closer to, or even above, existing broadband options.
That’s not all. TRAI is also reportedly mulling over a 4% payment of adjusted gross revenue (AGR), a licence fee of 8%, and a minimum annual spectrum charge of ₹3,500 per block for satellite operators. These are still in the recommendation phase and haven’t been finalised yet, but they could substantially affect pricing strategy down the line.
Despite the proposed levies, Starlink seems determined to keep things affordable—at least at the outset. The Indian market, with its massive base of underserved and unconnected regions, is clearly a tempting target. Many of these areas still lack access to even basic broadband, making satellite internet a potentially game-changing option.
By offering low-cost plans to rural users, Starlink could tap into a niche that other internet service providers haven’t fully cracked yet. And even if urban plans become more expensive due to regulatory charges, the rural market may be enough to fuel early adoption.
It’s worth noting how India’s potential Starlink pricing stacks up globally. In the US, the Residential Lite plan starts at $80 (₹6,800), and customers need to shell out another $349 (₹29,700) upfront for the hardware kit. There’s also the Starlink Roam plan for frequent travellers, which begins at $50 (₹4,200) for just 50GB of data, with an extra $299 (₹25,400) for the portable Starlink Mini Kit.
By comparison, India’s ₹850 entry point—if it actually happens—would be a bold leap. But affordability will depend on more than just headline numbers. Final pricing will likely reflect spectrum fees, kit costs, and policy outcomes yet to be locked in.
