Starlink waiting for final India clearances, says senior SpaceX executive

Company has 'multi-layered operational controls' to ensure local user data remains within India, says Lauren Dreyer

Starlink is ready to work with India and is hopeful of receiving approvals soon to begin services, a senior executive of American billionaire Elon Musk’s satellite broadband provider said on Wednesday, noting that the company has built its operations specifically for the country’s security requirements.

 

“We are standing ready to serve India once India is ready. We're ready to work with the government. We are ready to work with operators and with industry to this end. We are ready to help Prime Minister Modi achieve his vision of 100 per cent connectivity throughout India — a vision all of our company, including Elon, shares,” Lauren Dreyer, vice-president of Starlink business operations at SpaceX, said at the pre-business day of the India Mobile Congress in New Delhi.

 

“Hopefully, next time I address the Congress, the government's work will be complete, and Starlink will be authorised and ready,” she said.

 

Starlink is awaiting the Indian government’s security clearance and approval for foreign direct investment, having got permissions from IN-SPACe and the Global Mobile Personal Communication by Satellite licence.

 

Dreyer said Starlink had already made investments in India, with more than 20 gateway sites ready to begin operations.

 

The company was also ensuring that its business met security requirements and other regulations needed to operate in the country, she said.

 

Dreyer noted that Starlink had been building relationships with industry and partnering with state governments over the past five years to better understand the market and prepare for the start of operations.

 

“We have built our Starlink operations specifically for India in recognition of Indian security requirements and other regulations, establishing controls at every layer for India and keeping Indian user data within India. We have already made the investment and built the existing ground infrastructure here — 20 gateway sites comprising hundreds of antennas — and we have established the operations to be ready to serve India,” she said.

 

Dreyer said India had already built connectivity at scale with affordable data and a rapidly growing digital economy, but the last mile remained the most challenging area to connect.

 

“It's also where Starlink offers the biggest potential to help accelerate the speed to connect 100 per cent of India,” she added.

 

The Starlink executive also highlighted parent SpaceX’s work with India’s space agency, Isro, including satellite launches and the mission that carried Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla to and from the International Space Station.

 

“We have also carried two dedicated missions and 19 rideshare missions for Indian space companies to help them reach orbit. We have been proud to work alongside them to help them achieve their objectives here. We continue to engage with the vibrant Indian space entrepreneurial economy to think big about what space can do,” she said.