Elon Musk pitches Starlink for India, says it would help the ‘least served’

Tech billionaire Elon Musk has again pitched his satellite internet service, Starlink, for India, saying on Friday that it could bring internet access to the "least served" communities, especially those in rural parts of the country.

Run by Musk's SpaceX, Starlink delivers internet services via a network of low-Earth orbit satellites. The company has been working to secure the regulatory approvals needed to begin operations in India.

Musk pitches Starlink for ‘least served’ in India

In a social media post, Musk wrote, “Starlink would help the least served in India, especially in rural areas.”

He was replying to a post by an account called DogeDesigner, which called for Starlink to be introduced in India to improve internet access in remote villages.

"11,256 of India's listed villages still had no 4G coverage as of May 2026," DogeDesigner said.

"India had 1.093 billion internet subscriptions in March 2026, but only 440.87 million were rural. Rural subscription density was 48.31 per 100 people, compared with 126.80 in urban India," it said.

Starlink reapplied for approval in India?

Musk's remark came after reports said that Starlink had submitted a new application to provide satellite communication services in India, news agency PTI said in a report.

In June, Starlink said it was still holding discussions with the Indian government and had received positive feedback about its ability to help meet the country's connectivity targets.

Lauren Dreyer, vice president of Starlink business operations, said in a post on Elon Musk-owned X, “Starlink remains in active and productive discussions with the Government of India contrary to misleading stories based upon unsubstantiated claims from anonymous sources. We have worked with the Government through all of the required regulatory and compliance processes in a transparent and responsible manner.”

She made the statement after reports said that India had effectively put Starlink's commercial launch on hold due to concerns about the use of its satellite terminals during the Iran conflict.

News agency Bloomberg reported that the ministry of home affairs had not granted the final approvals required for Starlink because of security concerns linked to the reported use of the service during the Iran war. The US reportedly used Starlink’s satellite terminals in Iran even though the service was not licensed there.

What is Starlink?

Starlink is the satellite broadband service of SpaceX. It aims to provide high-speed internet using a network of thousands of satellites placed in low-Earth orbit.

While traditional satellite internet services use satellites located much farther from Earth, Starlink's network operates in a lower orbit, which is meant to reduce latency and offer higher speeds for services such as video streaming, online gaming and real-time communications.

The service is available in dozens of countries and has reportedly helped improve internet access in remote regions across North America, Australia and parts of Africa.