While some said security checks do stretch out over time, others worried about the impact on those awaiting satcom connection | Photo Credit: REUTERS

Industry experts estimate geopolitical developments to have soured Starlink’s chances of getting licensing approvals in India, even as the company rubbishes “unsubstantiated claims” of a regulatory freeze.

Following news reports that the Indian government had frozen approvals for Starlink’s commercial operations, Lauren Dreyer, Vice President of Company Business Operations stated on X, “Starlink remains in active and productive discussions with the Government of India contrary to misleading stories based upon unsubstantiated claims from anonymous sources.”

Stating that the company has worked with the government through all the required regulatory and compliance processes, Dreyer stressed the encouraging feedback from officials on Starlink’s capabilities and its potential to connect remote and underserved regions of the country. She also mentioned a bespoke deployment model for India to work within India’s sovereign technology, regulatory and security requirements.

India-US Relations

However, industry stakeholders speaking to businessline said Starlink’s approval procedure which was considered smooth-sailing until last year has hit a rut in terms of security checks. Many attributed this to the geopolitical developments, particularly in terms of the India-US relations.

For the past year, the relations between the two countries have oscillated with developments around visa, tariffs, etc. However, with building tensions and the worsening situation in the West Asia, the country has doubled down on its security checks, especially for foreign companies. Starlink’s owner Elon Musk is also known to be politically involved.

“There are now a lot of concerns around national security. Musk had also made the news for shutting down networks during the Russia-Ukraine war. In such a case, government are wary of foreign entrants compared to homegrown constellations,” said one source that wished to remain anonymous.

While some said security checks do stretch out over time, others worried about the impact on those awaiting satcom connection.

“Security checks for licensing approvals do take time particularly for satellite regulations. However, Starlink has been pending for a while. Considering the intention is to provide connectivity to far-off places, the service provider could be given priority treatment,” said a source on anonymity.

Published on June 10, 2026