Union Government ‘Warns’ States That Signed MoUs With Starlink Despite Pending Approvals: Report
New Delhi: The Union government has directed state governments that have entered into agreements with Elon Musk-owned Starlink to stop discussions and projects involving the satellite internet company until it secures the required licence to operate in India, government businessline has reported.
The government has also questioned Starlink India over how it entered into memorandums of understanding (MoUs) and letters of intent (LoIs) with state governments without first obtaining a licence, the report said.
Maharashtra, Gujarat, Meghalaya and Goa are among the states that have signed agreements with Starlink over the past year.
Maharashtra signed an LoI with Starlink in November 2025. Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis had said the agreement would help provide connectivity to government institutions, rural communities and critical infrastructure in remote and underserved areas.
Goa signed an MoU with Starlink in January 2026, followed by Gujarat exchanging an LoI with Starlink covering cooperation on satellite-based internet connectivity in remote, border and underserved parts of the state in February.
Meghalaya signed an MoU with Starlink India in April this year. Chief minister Conrad Sangma said the agreement would extend connectivity to schools, health centres and rural communities not covered by ground-based telecom infrastructure.
According to government sources cited by businessline, the Union government has asked these states to put their discussions with Starlink on hold and has also cautioned other states against proceeding without its approval.
The government is examining security issues linked to satellite communications, particularly in border areas of the Northeast, the report said. Officials are concerned that the technology could potentially be misused by insurgent groups and Starlink would have to provide certain security-related commitments before the government grants a licence, government sources told the paper.
Starlink has reportedly submitted a fresh application to the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe), seeking authorisation for its Gen 2 constellation. The satellites would operate in Low Earth Orbit at an altitude of 340–615 km.
Elon Musk said on X on Friday that Starlink could help provide connectivity to underserved and rural areas of India while it awaits approvals required to begin operations in the country.
The Wire has previously reported that both Jio and Airtel have signed partnership agreements with Starlink, pending regulatory approvals, raising questions about the significant shift in the country’s telecom sector. The announcements had brought into focus the absence of parliamentary or public debate on what these deals would mean for national security and other aspects of Indian telecommunications.
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