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.
“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.
“11,256 of India’s listed villages still had no 4G coverage as of May 2026,” DogeDesigner said. 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.
We have worked with the Government through all of the required regulatory and compliance processes in a transparent and responsible manner. The US reportedly used Starlink’s satellite terminals in Iran even though the service was not licensed there. 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. Because of security concerns linked to the reported use of the service during the Iran war, news agency Bloomberg reported that the ministry of home affairs had not granted the final approvals required for Starlink.
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.
