Starlink Debate Heats Up: Scindia To Business Today On Pricing, Security And Competition

Union Telecom Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia tells Business Today that India will not allow a monopoly in the satellite communications (Satcom) sector, as Reliance Jio, Eutelsat OneWeb and Starlink move through the regulatory process. Scindia says the government is close to taking a final decision on the Satcom pricing framework, with security requirements and compliance milestones remaining critical before services can begin operations. He also points to the government's technology-agnostic approach, stressing that consumers should be free to choose between services and providers. With Amazon Kuiper also interested in entering the Indian market, the focus is now on Satcom pricing, spectrum allocation, security clearances and the next phase of India's satellite broadband race.