News Brief
Starlink In India Soon? Ahead Of Elon Musk's Upcoming Visit, Government Clears Regulatory Hurdle For The Satellite Internet Service
Nayan Dwivedi
Apr 16, 2024, 09:57 AM | Updated 09:57 AM IST
Save & read from anywhere!
Bookmark stories for easy access on any device or the Swarajya app.
Days before his expected meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Elon Musk's satellite internet venture, Starlink, has cleared a significant regulatory hurdle by receiving in-principle approval from India's telecom ministry.
According to reports by Economic Times, the approval process has progressed well, with the commercial aspects of Starlink's application meeting the necessary criteria related to foreign investment and net worth.
Additionally, technical requirements have been examined in alignment with license conditions, and the company has submitted a declaration regarding its ownership, addressing government concerns about foreign stakeholders.
A key concern for the government was ensuring that Starlink's ownership did not involve stakeholders from countries sharing a land border with India.
Also Read: Arvind Kejriwal Plans Weekly Ministerial Meetings In Tihar Jail — DG Prisons Weighs In On Legality
This issue has reportedly been resolved with Starlink's submission of a declaration regarding ownership.
The telecom ministry has imposed certain mandates, including ensuring that KYC details and customer information of Indian users remain within the country.
Furthermore, data beams from satellites are mandated to land in India and not elsewhere due to satellite movement.
Once final vetting is completed by the home ministry, Starlink is expected to be granted a Global Mobile Personal Communication by Satellite (GMPCS) services license.
The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) is currently expediting the license process ahead of Elon Musk's visit to India later this month.
Musk's visit, scheduled for 21 and 22 April, is anticipated to include discussions with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other government officials.
Also Read: India Has Showcased Itself As A Global Leader During The Past Year: US
Save & read from anywhere!
Bookmark stories for easy access on any device or the Swarajya app.
Nayan Dwivedi is Staff Writer at Swarajya.
Support Swarajya's 50 Ground Reports Project & Sponsor A Story
Every general election Swarajya does a 50 ground reports project.
Aimed only at serious readers and those who appreciate the nuances of political undercurrents, the project provides a sense of India's electoral landscape. As you know, these reports are produced after considerable investment of travel, time and effort on the ground.
This time too we've kicked off the project in style and have covered over 30 constituencies already. If you're someone who appreciates such work and have enjoyed our coverage please consider sponsoring a ground report for just Rs 2999 to Rs 19,999 - it goes a long way in helping us produce more quality reportage.
You can also back this project by becoming a subscriber for as little as Rs 999 - so do click on this links and choose a plan that suits you and back us.
Click below to contribute.
