Starlink India faced with stringent entry conditions

As Starlink moves towards obtaining a satellite communications license in India, the government has made stringent terms with the Elon Musk company. The terms, primarily security and regulation-specific to the country, include setting up a local control center and permitting call interception centers. The government says that Starlink must establish a control center in India to facilitate the immediate suspension or shutdown of its communication services in sensitive areas whenever necessary to maintain law and order.

Authorities cite that they cannot afford to depend on Starlink’s US-based headquarters for urgent communication controls.

Additionally, the government has also mandated that Starlink implement protocols allowing law enforcement agencies to intercept calls through official channels. Similar requirements already apply to terrestrial telecom providers like Jio, Airtel, and Vodafone Idea.

To comply, Starlink will need to ensure calls routed via its satellite network first pass through an Indian gateway before reaching their final destination.

Entering into Strategic Partnerships

As part of its strategy to enter into India, Starlink has also engaged in discussions with major Indian telecom providers like Reliance Jio and Airtel for cooperation on marketing, deployment, and network enhancement. The move is said to help Starlink bypass the cumbersome regulatory environment as well as integration with existing telecom infrastructure.