Elon Musk’s satellite internet venture, Starlink, has finally put a number on how much Indian users may expect to pay once the service becomes available. After months of speculation and shifting timelines, Starlink has listed a residential plan priced at ₹8,600 per month, with an additional ₹34,000 for hardware. The company says the plan will offer unlimited data, 99.9% uptime and weather-resistant connectivity, along with a 30-day trial period for new users. The pricing is public, but the commercial service itself is yet to launch.
Starlink has received the green light to operate in India, although a few operational pieces remain unfinished. The company is currently working on setting up points of presence, securing SATCOM gateway approvals and acquiring licences for its network equipment. Spectrum-related processes also need to be completed before the service can officially go live. If these steps move quickly, industry observers believe Starlink could begin its rollout as early as next quarter, but neither Musk nor Starlink has announced a formal launch date. For now, the timeline remains dependent on government clearances and internal deployment schedules. Starlink is expected to start with selected regions, likely those where terrestrial broadband options are limited.
Starlink’s value proposition is not aimed at metro users who already enjoy fibre speeds at far lower prices. Instead, the service is expected to target households and businesses in rural and remote zones where laying fibre or building towers is either slow or impractical. Musk has previously noted that Starlink’s satellites orbit at around 550 kilometres, far closer than traditional geostationary satellites stationed at 36,000 kilometres. This shorter distance reduces latency and could make satellite broadband feel far more usable for everyday tasks.
Reports suggest Starlink may deliver speeds ranging between 25 Mbps and 220 Mbps in India. While this range might not turn heads in urban centres, it could significantly improve connectivity for districts where basic broadband remains inconsistent. India’s geography includes hilly terrains, forest belts and coastal regions where infrastructure rollout has historically been challenging. Satellite-based internet could be a practical alternative if the pricing model proves workable for rural households and institutions.
Starlink’s global footprint has grown at a pace no other satellite broadband programme has matched so far. SpaceX has already deployed around 7,000 low-earth-orbit satellites and aims to scale this number beyond 40,000 in the coming years. The idea is to build a dense network capable of serving regions that remain difficult to connect — from disaster-struck areas where communications collapse to conflict zones where infrastructure is compromised. India, with its mix of dense cities and remote stretches, fits neatly into this broader strategy.
For now, the company’s India entry remains a work in progress. Pricing clarity is a step forward, but the larger test will be whether Starlink can secure its pending regulatory approvals and align its phased rollout with India’s telecom and satellite policy frameworks. If all goes as planned, the service could become one of the most closely watched internet launches of the year.
