Mukesh Ambani’s Jio to offer SpaceX’s Starlink internet in India

JIO Platforms, owned by Indian billionaire Mukesh Ambani, has signed an agreement with Elon Musk’s SpaceX to provide Starlink’s satellite internet service to customers in India.

The announcement came a day after rival telecom company Bharti Airtel signed a similar agreement.

The launch of Starlink, which delivers high-speed internet via low Earth orbit satellites, has been a subject of debate in India over issues including pricing and spectrum allocation.

Ambani’s Jio and SpaceX have now partnered to facilitate the adoption of satellite broadband in the country.

Under the agreement, Jio will offer Starlink equipment through its retail outlets and support customer service, installation, and activation, according to a statement.

"The parties will leverage Jio's position as the world's largest mobile operator in terms of data traffic... to deliver reliable broadband services across the country, including the most rural and remote regions of India," the statement said.

The deal is contingent on SpaceX securing regulatory approvals to operate Starlink in India. Media reports last month suggested that the company’s licence application was close to initial approval.

Jio is also developing its own satellite broadband services. In 2022, it formed a joint venture with Luxembourg-based SES to provide internet access using a combination of geostationary and medium Earth orbit satellites.

The agreement follows Musk’s meeting with Indian prime minister Narendra Modi in Washington last month.

While Musk's business presence in India is currently limited to social media platform X, Tesla is preparing to enter the Indian market.

The company recently began hiring in India, with job postings for a store manager and service technicians in New Delhi and Mumbai.

(With inputs from AFP)