Elon Musk’s company Starlink has almost completed all steps to launch satellite internet in India. The project, built by SpaceX, has passed most regulatory and licensing checks.

Pawan Goenka, Chairman of India’s space agency IN-SPACe, told NDTV that only a few technical and procedural tasks are left.
“Even after authorisation, it will take a few months for the service to become operational,” he said after meeting SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell.

Final Approvals Expected Soon

Starlink is likely to receive its final approval in the coming days. The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) already cleared the project earlier this month.

According to NDTV, Starlink plans to launch with a bandwidth of 600 to 700 Gbps. The company has been trying to enter the Indian market since 2021.

India Is a Key Market

India has nearly 100 crore internet users. It is one of the world’s largest telecom markets. Therefore, Starlink views India as an important part of its global expansion.

At present, Starlink operates in over 100 countries. In Asia, it already serves countries like Japan, Mongolia, the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Jordan, Yemen, Azerbaijan, Bhutan, and Bangladesh.

X Faces Legal Challenges in Indian Court

While Starlink is progressing, Elon Musk’s other company X (formerly Twitter) is facing legal trouble in India.

On Tuesday, during a court hearing, X’s lawyer KG Raghavan said, “Every ‘Tom, Dick, and Harry’ government official had been authorised to issue content takedown orders.” His statement received strong objections from the government’s lawyer.

Dispute Over Content Removal Portal

X is challenging a government website it calls a “censorship portal.” The company argues that the portal allows too many officials to order content takedowns.

However, the Indian government says the portal is just a tool to alert companies about legal requirements.

Raghavan explained the issue further. He said that recently, the Railways Department asked X to remove a video showing a car on railway tracks.
“That was news,” he told the court. “But the government found it unlawful.”

Two Companies, Two Paths

In summary, Starlink is close to entering India’s internet market, while X continues to battle censorship claims. As one Musk-led company prepares to launch, the other fights to defend free expression.