India says Starlink, Jio Satcom, OneWeb hold satcom licences

TL;DR: India Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said on October 9, 2026 that Starlink, Jio Satcom, and Eutelsat OneWeb have secured satellite communications licences in India. He said the three operators can start domestic operations after spectrum charge pricing is finalised and each company meets security requirements. He also said Amazon Kuiper has expressed interest and will follow the standard authorisation process.

India Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said on October 9, 2026 at India Mobile Congress 2026 that Starlink, Reliance Jio's satellite unit Jio Satcom, and Bharti-backed Eutelsat OneWeb have secured satellite communications licences in India.

Scindia said India does not allow monopolies in any sector and that the Department of Telecommunications is technology-agnostic. He said customers should be able to choose among different connectivity services and providers in a free market.

Scindia said the three licensed satcom operators can begin domestic operations after the government finalises spectrum charge pricing on a revenue basis and after each operator fulfils its security conditions. He added that the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India and the Department of Telecommunications are close to finalising the spectrum pricing regime.

Scindia said Amazon's Kuiper has expressed interest in the Indian satcom market and will go through the established authorisation procedures. His remarks followed recent comments by SpaceX CEO Elon Musk about Starlink's progress in India.