Confusion over Starlink in India
June 11, 2026

By Chris Forrester



There are conflicting reports as to the status of Starlink’s application to start serving broadband clients in India.

A Bloomberg report which stated that India had put Starlink’s commercial launch on hold has been denied by SpaceX officials, who say that talks with India’s various licencing authorities are progressing on track.


Lauren Dreyer, VP/Business Operations at Starlink, posted on X saying that the Bloomberg report was “misleading,” adding: “Starlink remains in active and productive discussions with the Government of India contrary to misleading stories based upon unsubstantiated claims from anonymous sources.”

The Bloomberg report stated that India’s Ministry of Home Affairs had withheld final clearances for Starlink to start operations. The report said concerns had grown following reports that Starlink terminals were in use in the conflict in the Middle East, despite the service not being licensed in Iran. Officials are reportedly examining whether the company can ensure compliance with Indian security requirements when faced with competing demands from foreign governments.

SpaceX’s Dreyer did not address those specifics, but said that SpaceX had followed due process. “We have worked with the Government through all of the required regulatory and compliance processes in a transparent and responsible manner,” she wrote in her post.

Starlink was granted a Unified License with authorisation for ‘Global Mobile Personal Communication by Satellite’ service by India’s Department of Telecommunications in June 2025.

SpaceX says that while it had already received a letter of intent from the government, the final licence is yet to be granted.

Dreyer added: “We have heard nothing but encouraging feedback on Starlink’s capabilities and its potential to advance India’s connectivity ambitions, especially in remote and underserved regions. We remain fully committed to India and to working with the Government to bring Starlink’s services very soon to the country.”