DPIIT stand may pave way for Starlink’s India satcom entry

New Delhi: The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) has clarified to the telecom department that undertakings given by companies on foreign shareholding should be accepted, a development that will pave the way for Elon Musk-owned Starlink to be granted the licence to start satellite communication services in India.

“The clarity regarding foreign shareholding with reference to Press Note 3, 2020, has come from the DPIIT,” an official aware of the details told ET.

Starlink is seeking a licence for global mobile personal communication by satellite services (GMPCS) to provide satcom services, competing against the likes of Bharti Group-backed Eutelsat OneWeb, Reliance Jio’s satellite venture and Amazon for a share of the nascent India market with huge growth potential.