An Indian market that could not open

Published 11 October 2026

India's Department of Telecommunications addressed Starlink directly on November 26, 2021. The company was advertising satellite internet and accepting advance orders in Indian territory without the required licence. The department said that Starlink had not obtained an authorization to provide the services being offered through its website. It instructed the company to comply with the Indian regulatory framework and stop taking orders or providing satellite internet immediately. The public was advised against subscribing. This was a specific regulatory objection to the company's Indian activity. The existence of a network abroad, or a website willing to accept an Indian customer's payment, did not establish the right to provide service inside the country. pib.gov.in, "Get licence before offering Satellite-based services": Telecom Dept to 'Starlink..., 2021-11-26

On January 4, 2022, Reuters reported that Starlink had told customers the government wanted advance orders refunded until the company obtained licences. The service had received more than five thousand Indian orders for its devices. In an email seen by Reuters, Starlink said the timeline for permission was unknown and several issues in the licensing framework still had to be resolved. It reiterated that a customer could receive a refund at any time. The immediate task was no longer to convert those orders into installations. It was to return money while the conditions for operating remained unsettled. Demand was visible, but an authorized commercial service had not followed it. reuters.com, Musk-backed Starlink to refund pre-orders in India after govt order, 2022-01-04

The company's earlier ambitions were much more precise than its January description of the licensing timetable. A presentation had targeted two hundred thousand devices in India by December 2022 if a rollout began in April, Reuters reported. Country head Sanjay Bhargava had said the company planned to apply for a commercial licence by the end of January. On January 4, he announced that he had stepped down as country director and board chairman for personal reasons. The report did not establish a different reason for his departure. The numerical target also remained a target tied to an assumed rollout, rather than evidence that devices had been installed or that a launch date had been approved. reuters.com, Musk-backed Starlink to refund pre-orders in India after govt order, 2022-01-04