Elon Musk’s satellite company, Starlink, is reportedly in discussions with the Indian Telecom Ministry to obtain a license to begin operations in India. The company has faced delays due to security concerns raised by the home ministry. However, the Telecom Ministry is set to hold a meeting later this month to discuss Starlink’s proposal for a global mobile personal communication by satellite (GMPCS) services license, which is expected to be approved.

Before launching its services in India, Starlink will need to obtain necessary approvals from various government bodies, including the space ministry. Earlier this year, the Telecom Ministry reprimanded Starlink for accepting advance orders for its devices in India without a license. The ministry ordered the company to refund the collected money to over 5,000 subscribers who had placed pre-orders costing $99 each.

Currently, only Mukesh Ambani’s Jio and Sunil Mittal-backed One Web have been granted the GMPCS license in India. However, Starlink has been lobbying India to allocate licenses without conducting an auction for the satellite broadband spectrum, aligning with a global trend. In contrast, Reliance has urged the government to hold an auction for the spectrum in a public submission.

As Starlink awaits the license approval, it aims to expand its satellite broadband services to India, providing improved connectivity options for users across the country.