(Image source from: Business-standard.com)
On Tuesday, telecommunications provider Bharti Airtel announced that it has entered into a partnership with Elon Musk's SpaceX to introduce the Starlink satellite internet service in India. This announcement comes almost a month after Musk's meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Washington, where they talked about enhancing collaboration in various fields including space exploration, technology, and mobility. In a statement, Airtel mentioned that they and SpaceX will investigate the possibility of offering Starlink devices in Airtel's retail outlets and providing Starlink services through Airtel to business clients, as well as connecting communities, educational institutions, and healthcare centers in some of India’s most remote areas. SpaceX's Chief Operating Officer, Gwynne Shotwell, expressed enthusiasm about collaborating with Airtel, believing in the "transformative impact" that Starlink could deliver to India. This development also follows Musk's recent agreement to establish the first Tesla showroom in India for selling imported electric vehicles.
The partnership between Airtel and Starlink, which has been making efforts to enter the Indian market since 2021, aims to provide high-speed broadband access to the most isolated regions of the country. India is recognized as one of the largest telecom markets globally, boasting nearly 1 billion users. Numerous remote locales are underserved by reliable internet service, primarily due to the significant expenses and logistical challenges associated with deploying fiber-optic cabling or constructing mobile towers. The satellite-based technology of Starlink has the potential to effectively address these challenges by delivering internet speeds ranging from 25 to 220 Mbps to these underserved areas. Currently, of the 644,131 villages in India, 615,836 are equipped with 4G mobile connectivity. While Starlink has yet to announce its pricing structure for the Indian market—where internet data costs are among the lowest globally—former Starlink India Country Director Sanjay Bhargava indicated that the first-year costs could reach Rs 1,58,000, with subsequent years potentially costing Rs 1,15,000.
Among India's neighbors, only Bhutan has access to Starlink. In Bhutan, the 'Residential Lite Plan' is priced around Rs 3,000 per month and offers internet speeds between 23 Mbps and 100 Mbps, while the 'Standard Residential Plan' costs about Rs 4,200 monthly with speeds ranging from 25 Mbps to 110 Mbps. Starlink is available in over 100 countries; for instance, it costs $10 monthly in Kenya and $120 in the United States. In recent years, internet accessibility in India—the most populous country in the world—has seen a remarkable surge. Official government data reports that the number of internet connections has increased from about 250 million in 2014 to over 960 million in 2024, marking a growth of 285.53%. Broadband subscriptions have skyrocketed by 1,452%, rising from about 60 million in 2014 to a projected 940 million in 2024.
Furthermore, the average monthly data consumption per wireless subscriber has surged 353 times, climbing from 61.66 MB in 2014 to 21.30 GB in 2024. The rollout of 5G technology has also achieved rapid progress, with more than 462,000 Base Transceiver Stations deployed across 779 districts, according to government statistics.
