Elon Musk’s Starlink to start internet services in India's Maharashtra state

Indian state Maharashtra is set to become the first in India to introduce Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite internet service.

Starlink, operated by SpaceX, delivers high-speed connectivity to rural and hard-to-reach regions using a network of low-Earth orbit satellites. Its planned rollout in India has triggered intense debate over matters such as pricing practices and spectrum allocation.

India, expected to surpass 900 million internet users by the end of the year, granted Starlink an operating licence in June. Following this, Maharashtra announced it would officially partner with the company to develop satellite-based digital infrastructure across the state.

In March, India’s two largest telecom operators — Jio Platforms and Bharti Airtel — revealed agreements with SpaceX to provide Starlink services to their customers. The partnership is expected to strengthen efforts to extend reliable internet access to underserved regions.

Lauren Dreyer, Starlink’s vice president of business operations, said the company aims to help advance India’s digital development by connecting remote schools, healthcare facilities, and other vital institutions once final regulatory clearances are secured.

The Starlink initiative comes amid a broader wave of major technology investments in India. Google recently pledged $15 billion over the next five years to establish a large data and artificial intelligence centre — its biggest such facility outside the United States.

Meanwhile, US-based AI firms including Anthropic and OpenAI are preparing to open offices in India, and Perplexity has entered into a major collaboration with Airtel.