Starlink in India: Licence, Security Clearance, Spectrum | CLAT Explainer

VIDEO EXPLAINER | 10 OCTOBER 2026

Around 7 October 2026, Elon Musk wrote on X that “certain oligarchs” were blocking Starlink in India to protect a monopoly. He said Starlink is licensed in more than 165 countries and asked why it still had no licence in India after five years of compliance. On 8 October, the Government of India called the claims baseless and misconceived, and said its authorisation framework for satellite services is “fair and non-discriminatory”. This explainer sets out where Starlink actually stands in the Indian approval process, and the two issues that sit underneath the dispute: security and spectrum.

The two positions, as stated

Musk’s position, as posted on X: Starlink operates in over 165 countries, has complied with Indian requirements for five years, and is being held back by vested interests. The Government’s position: the allegations are baseless, the framework is fair and non-discriminatory, and security vetting is under way for every satellite applicant, not Starlink alone. On 9 October, Kanchan Gupta, Senior Adviser in the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, wrote on X that Starlink is not “super-privileged”: it holds a satcom permit and the space regulator’s authorisation, and is “awaiting a security clearance”.

Where Starlink stands: three approvals

Satellite internet in India needs approval from more than one authority. Based on official statements and reports, Starlink’s position is:

• GMPCS licence (Global Mobile Personal Communication by Satellite), issued by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT): received in June 2025.
• IN-SPACe authorisation: granted on 8 July 2025, valid until 7 July 2030. IN-SPACe, the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre, was set up in 2020 under the Department of Space as the space-sector regulator.
• Security clearance: still pending.

Starlink is not alone. According to the official statement, three NGSO (non-geostationary orbit) GMPCS providers hold initial licences, and a security assessment is under way for all of them, Eutelsat OneWeb included. Spectrum will be given only after clearance.

Issue one: security

Satellite internet reaches the user directly from the sky. That is why the Government wants the ability to intercept lawfully when needed, and the security conditions attached to satellite licences include two specific requirements: provision for lawful interception, and a command-and-control centre located in India.

Issue two: spectrum, and how it should be priced

Even after clearance, an operator needs spectrum. How satellite spectrum should be allocated, and at what price, is contested. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) recommended administrative allocation, while telecom companies opposed it.

Here the law has a history worth knowing. In the 2G case, Centre for Public Interest Litigation v. Union of India, decided on 2 February 2012, the Supreme Court favoured auction as the method for allotting scarce natural resources. But Parliament later enacted the Telecommunications Act, 2023, whose First Schedule permits the administrative assignment of spectrum for satellite services. The disagreement between terrestrial telecom companies and satellite companies turns on this tension: auction as the general rule for scarce resources, and administrative assignment as the route the 2023 Act allows for satellite spectrum.

Why it matters

The Starlink episode is a useful case study in how a regulated sector works. A company can hold some approvals and still be unable to operate until the last one arrives. It also shows how a public claim on social media and an official rebuttal can both be reported without the underlying process changing: the question that decides the outcome is not who wins the argument online, but when the security clearance and spectrum assignment are completed.

Sources

The Tribune (9 Oct 2026) and OpIndia on the Government’s statement and the MIB Senior Adviser’s post; Business Standard (June 2025), Advanced Television (July 2025) and Outlook Business on the GMPCS licence, IN-SPACe authorisation and security conditions; Voice&Data and tele.net.in on the spectrum debate; the Supreme Court judgment in Centre for Public Interest Litigation v. Union of India (2012); the Telecommunications Act, 2023; IN-SPACe.