- Starlink has revealed its India pricing, listing the residential plan at ₹8,600 per month with a one-time hardware cost of ₹34,000.
- The service is not live yet, as Starlink’s availability map still shows “pending regulatory approval,” despite the company having secured GMPCS and Unified Licences.
- Starlink aims to boost rural connectivity, with Elon Musk noting that the service performs best in remote areas and will complement existing broadband networks.
Starlink, the satellite internet service from Elon Musk’s SpaceX, has taken a major step toward its India launch by unveiling the prices for its residential plan. The updated details on the Starlink India website suggest that the company is preparing for rollout, even though its service is still marked as “pending regulatory approval.”
Residential plan priced at ₹8,600 per month
Starlink’s newly listed plan places the monthly cost for its residential service at ₹8,600, with a one-time hardware fee of ₹34,000. The kit includes a satellite dish, Wi-Fi router, power cables, and mounting accessories.
Subscribers will receive:
- Unlimited data
- A 30-day trial period
- An uptime promise of over 99.9%
- Easy installation, requiring users to simply plug in the equipment
Starlink says the system is designed to work in a range of weather conditions, aiming to provide reliable connectivity even in challenging environments.
Service still awaiting final government clearance
Despite the pricing announcement, Starlink’s availability map continues to show that the India launch is subject to final regulatory clearance.
The company has already secured two major approvals:
- The Global Mobile Personal Communication by Satellite (GMPCS) license.
- A Unified License from the Department of Telecommunications (DoT).
These permissions put Starlink alongside OneWeb and Reliance Jio as licensed satellite-communication operators in India. Pricing for its Business tier, however, is yet to be officially announced.
Ideal for rural connectivity, not urban congestion
With nearly 7,000 satellites orbiting Earth, Starlink operates the largest satellite constellation in the world. This network allows it to offer high-speed internet in areas where traditional broadband struggles to reach.
In a recent conversation with Zerodha co-founder Nikhil Kamath, Elon Musk explained that Starlink works best in rural and remote locations, adding that performance may dip in highly populated cities due to demand and capacity limits. He described the service as complementary to India’s existing broadband and mobile networks rather than a direct replacement.
Partnerships with Jio and Airtel strengthen rollout plans
Starlink’s path into India hasn’t been simple. For years, the company faced regulatory pushback and disagreements, especially with telecom giants Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel, over spectrum allocation for satellite services.
Those conflicts have since eased. Starlink has now inked separate retail partnerships with Jio Platforms and Bharti Airtel, allowing the telecom operators to offer its service to their customers once the rollout begins.
Regulatory clearance awaited!
Starlink’s India pricing is now public, marking a big step toward its long-awaited launch. With monthly charges set at ₹8,600 and hardware costing ₹34,000, the service is clearly listed as a premium option, one that may particularly benefit rural users who lack dependable internet access.
While the company still needs final regulatory clearance before going live, the licenses and partnerships it has secured suggest that Starlink is moving steadily toward becoming part of India’s growing digital landscape.
