Starlink to establish nine earth station gateways in India ahead of its sat-internet debut

Starlink, owned by SpaceX, intends to roll out nine gateway earth stations in India across major metropolitan and strategic locations including Mumbai, Noida, Chandigarh, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Lucknow.

The company has applied for a capacity of 600 gigabits per second (Gbps) over India through its Gen 1 satellite constellation, with provisional spectrum assignment granted to enable demonstrations of security-related compliance. 

At this stage, Starlink is authorised to import up to 100 satellite terminals for testing purposes, specifically for fixed-satellite-service (FSS) demonstrations and not yet for full commercial operations. 

Regulatory & Security Compliance Requirements

Given the sensitive nature of satellite communications (satcom) from a national-security perspective, Indian authorities have imposed strict mandates on Starlink’s operations. Some of the key requirements are:

• Only Indian nationals may operate the ground stations initially, until foreign personnel obtain security clearances from the Ministry of Home Affairs. 

• All test data generated must be stored within India, to ensure data sovereignty. 

• The operator must provide regular details on which equipment is used, deployment coordinates, and user terminal data to the security agencies and department-of-telecommunications.

Security Concerns & Recent Precedents

Satcom services can be leveraged for critical communications, including defence and remote connectivity. In India, concerns have cropped up earlier about unauthorised use of satellite terminals. For example:

• Authorities discovered allegedly illegal Starlink devices in border regions such as Manipur and the Andaman & Nicobar Islands. However, Starlink (via Musk) disputed the claim, stating: “This is false. Starlink satellite beams are turned off over India.” 

• The need for rigorous inspections, tracking of device usage and spectrum precautions underscores the high-security bar that satcom providers face.

Timeline & Market Implications

Deployment and launch horizon

Starlink is reportedly aiming for a late 2025 or early 2026 commercial launch of its India operations, contingent on final regulatory approvals, spectrum allocation and completion of security compliance requirements.

Competitive context

The company will become the third satcom provider in India after OneWeb and Jio Satellite Communications (backed by Reliance Jio), to receive provisional permission for such operations. None of them are yet fully commercially live. 

Strategic opportunity

India’s satellite-broadband market is expected to grow, particularly in underserved rural and remote regions where fibre and terrestrial networks are weak. A high-capacity satcom player like Starlink could fill the connectivity gap, subject to pricing, roll-out speed and localisation.

Conclusion

Starlink’s plan to establish nine gateway earth stations across India marks a major step in the satellite-internet player’s strategy to enter one of the world’s largest connectivity markets. With a 600 Gbps capacity application and a Gen 1 constellation linkage, the infrastructural ambition is clear.

At the same time, the Indian regulatory and security ecosystem imposes rigorous compliance — Indian-only operations (initially), data localisation, and equipment-tracking obligations among them.

The success of Starlink’s India launch in late 2025 or early 2026 will depend not just on technological readiness, but on how swiftly it navigates spectrum allocation, security clearances and competitive pricing. For Indian consumers and businesses, it promises a new dimension of connectivity — but one that will have to clear many regulatory and security hurdles first.