Elon Musk's satellite internet giant has partnered with local telecom player Airtel

Elon Musk's Starlink internet services will be launched in India through a partnership with Bharti Airtel, the country's second-largest telecom operator by market share, according to the company's Tuesday stock exchange filings.

The agreement between SpaceX and Airtel will allow the US company to market its equipment and services using the local partner's nationwide retail store network. "This is the first agreement to be signed in India, which is subject to SpaceX receiving its own authorizations to sell Starlink in India," the statement noted, highlighting the need for Musk's company to first obtain government approval to begin operations.

In March 2024, India's internet user base was estimated to be 954.40 million, according to government data. In October, India decided to allot spectrum for satellite broadband administratively, instead of staging auctions. Musk's rival, Indian telecom billionaire Mukesh Ambani, had previously insisted that an auction should take place.

In November 2024, Indian Telecommunications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia had stated that Musk's company has been seeking a way of operating in India and was working on obtaining security clearance from the government to offer satellite broadband services there. "When you check all the boxes, you get the license. If [Starlink can] do that, we will be very happy," Scindia said. 

Recently, however, Indian law enforcement agencies have raised concerns that Starlink's services were being used for illegal activities, including drug smuggling and insurgent operations. In December, police from India's Andaman and Nicobar Islands discovered 6,000kg of meth on a boat which had arrived from Myanmar, in what the authorities claim to be the largest seizure of its kind.

Similarly, a number of devices powered by Starlink, which were not licensed for use in India, have found their way into the hands of militants in Manipur, a hilly state in the northeast of the country which has been in the news since May 2023 due to deadly ethnic clashes.

In December, Starlink devices were among the guns, bombs, and ammunition seized during a search operation in multiple districts of Manipur by the Indian Army.

At that time, The Guardian reported that Starlink was operational in parts of Manipur, citing sources from local armed groups and law enforcement. A leader from the People's Liberation Army of Manipur told the outlet that the group used Starlink devices to maintain internet access in the state, where authorities had blocked it as part of efforts to curb violence.  Musk has denied the allegations. "This is false. Starlink satellite beams are turned off over India," he then said on X.