Elon Musk’s satellite internet venture, Starlink, has stepped in to end speculation after its India webpage briefly displayed what looked like official pricing — a ₹8,600 monthly plan and ₹34,000 hardware cost. The global satellite broadband giant has now issued a clarification: the prices were never meant to go live.
The sudden appearance of these figures sent social media and telecom circles buzzing, prompting debates about how Starlink would position itself against Indian giants like Reliance Jio and Airtel. But the excitement was short-lived — the company says the numbers were simply “temporary test data.”
Starlink: “Prices Not Final — India Website Isn’t Live Yet”
Addressing the confusion, Lauren Dreyer, Starlink’s Vice President of Business Operations, posted a clear update on X:
“Starlink India’s website is not live yet, and we are not accepting orders in India. The prices that appeared online were temporary test data due to a configuration issue.”
Dreyer added that Starlink is still completing approvals and building ground infrastructure before announcing official plans for India.
The message is clear:
No pricing has been finalised. No bookings are open. And no launch date has been announced yet.
How India Compares: Bangladesh & Sri Lanka Pricing Give Clues
Although India’s official tariffs are still under wraps, Starlink’s neighbouring markets give a hint of the possible range:
Bangladesh: $40–50/month (Rs 3,400–4,300) | Hardware: $300–400
Sri Lanka: $100–125/month (Rs 8,600–10,750) | Hardware: $900–1,000
Speeds in both countries reportedly range between 190–360 Mbps, depending on network congestion.
If India follows a similar tiered pricing strategy, satellite internet could be accessible across remote districts — but still premium compared to urban broadband.
Musk: Starlink Is Not Targeting Cities — Only Rural & Remote India
In a recent conversation with Zerodha’s Nikhil Kamath, Elon Musk said:
“Starlink is designed for rural areas where building fibre and towers is difficult. Urban India already has strong telecom networks.”
This aligns with Starlink’s global blueprint:
Bridge the digital divide, not compete with metro broadband.
The biggest beneficiaries?
Villages, hilly regions, islands, deserts, border areas, and remote terrain where connectivity has been historically poor.
Telecom Giants Wary, Watching Closely
Indian operators — Reliance Jio, Airtel, and Vodafone-Idea — have already raised concerns about what satellite broadband competition could mean for:
●5G expansion plans
●Fixed wireless access (FWA)
●Rural market penetration
With Starlink set to compete alongside Jio-SES and Eutelsat OneWeb, the satellite internet race in India is about to heat up.
What Starlink Still Needs Before Launch
Before officially going live, Starlink must wait for:
● Final approval from IN-SPACe
● Spectrum pricing clarity from DoT and TRAI
● Gateway earth stations across India
● Retail distribution partnerships — likely with Jio and Airtel
Only after these steps will Starlink announce actual India pricing and subscription plans.
