Satcom row: Starlink says India infra has govt approvals, ready for launch

Starlink further said it was ready to connect India with high-speed internet (Photo: Reuters)

Starlink on Friday said it has worked with Indian regulators, industry and operators for over five years and built dedicated infrastructure in the country "all with the requisite government approvals", as the Elon Musk-led company asserted its readiness to provide high-speed internet services in India.

Starlink's post on X also tagged Reliance Industries' statement issued earlier Friday, in which the Mukesh Ambani-led company said it welcomed competition in satellite communications, including from Starlink, but stressed that all players must comply with Indian laws.

Starlink responded on X saying: "We have worked closely with regulators, industry and operators in India for 5+ years, and built a network of dedicated systems, gateways, and other infrastructure all in-country to exclusively serve Indian traffic safely and securely - and all with the requisite government approvals." Starlink further said it was ready to connect India with high-speed internet.

Friday's exchange comes amid a public spat over competition in India's satellite communications market, with Musk criticising the country's satcom landscape and raising questions about the competitive environment. Reliance said it sees a competitive market as the true test of which player serves customers best, and asserted that every company operating in India must follow the law.

In its first direct response to Musk's recent barbs, Reliance on Friday said it was placing "the facts on record." "At Reliance, we have never feared competition. We see it as the truest test of who serves the customer best," the company said in a statement.

Reliance backed its stance citing Jio's own record. Jio entered India's crowded telecom market in 2016 as the newest player, with not a single customer, and in a matter of just ten years, earned the trust of over 530 million customers, offering Indians some of the best digital infrastructure and most affordable data in the world, it said.

"We welcome competition in satellite communications, including Starlink. Every player, Jio included, must serve the people of India and abide by the laws and policies of the land," Reliance's statement said.

It further said India's openness to investment and innovation, homegrown or international, rests on the rule of law.

"Like every Indian enterprise, Reliance has grown in an India that welcomes investment and innovation, homegrown or international, that improve the lives of the people. That openness rests on the rule of law," it said.

As the government has maintained, it applies the same process to every applicant, Indian or foreign, Reliance said, adding "Jio's own satellite services await clearances".

Government sources, responding to the controversy surrounding Starlink and Musk's recent claims, have already made it clear that any company operating in India must comply with the law of the land.