Starlink: The entry of Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite internet service in India has been awaited for a long time, but now the company has taken a new and important step in this direction. According to reports, Starlink has sought fresh approval from IN-SPACe (Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre) for around 30,000 satellites in India. The special thing is that this proposed network includes ‘Direct-to-Device’ (Direct-to-Device) technology. This will allow some compatible smartphones to connect directly to the satellite and reduce reliance on traditional mobile towers.
Starlink sought approval again
The launch of Starlink service in India has been awaited for a long time. The company was earlier hoping to start operations from the third quarter of 2025, but the service has not started yet. In the meantime, the company had definitely taken steps like setting up an office in India and recruiting. According to reports now, Starlink has submitted a fresh application to Indian space regulator IN-SPACe to install around 30,000 satellites in Low Earth Orbit (LEO). The proposal also includes a direct-to-device feature.
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The phone will connect directly to the satellite
The most important aspect of this proposal is the ‘direct-to-device’ technology. This will allow compatible smartphones to connect directly to satellites without relying on traditional mobile towers. According to the report, the new application involves plans to send satellites to orbits between 340 and 615 kilometers above Earth. Starlink has sought approval for more than 30,000 satellites, while SpaceX’s ‘Gen 2’ network has a broader plan of around 42,000 satellites. Through this technology, Starlink can directly compete with companies like Reliance Jio and Amazon Leo.
Elon Musk also confirmed the application
The information about Starlink’s new proposal in India was first reported in ‘The Economic Times’ and later confirmed by Elon Musk. Rather than making an official post himself, Musk re-shared a post from an account called ‘DogeDesigner’ on X, detailing Starlink’s new application for direct-to-device connectivity in India.
However, Starlink’s previous proposal did not receive approval from the Indian government and the current new application is still being considered by Indian officials. As of now, no official information has been released regarding the service’s price, data plan and exact launch timeframe.