Piyush Goyal meets Starlink team, talks investment plans for India

Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal held talks with a group from Starlink, the satellite internet services company owned by Elon Musk. The Starlink team included Vice President Chad Gibbs and Senior Director Ryan Goodnight.

"Minister Goyal posted on X after the meeting that discussions included Starlink's advanced technology platform, current collaborations, and future investment strategies in India."

Airtel and Jio have teamed up with Starlink to provide high-speed satellite internet services to their customers in India.

Satellite telecommunications in India will assist the nation in delivering essential services to remote interior areas where traditional telecom services often become expensive.

Starlink's arrival in India has gained attention recently, coinciding with Donald Trump's victory in the US presidential election for a second term. Elon Musk is a close associate of President Trump.

According to its website, Starlink is the first and largest satellite constellation in the world that utilizes low Earth orbit to provide broadband internet, enabling streaming, online gaming, video calls, and more.

Starlink’s growth in India aims at a large user demographic, as the company has already provided services to over five million subscribers in 125 markets by February 2025. Analysts at Jefferies estimate that Starlink might acquire as many as 5.7 million more users in India within the next five years. 

The low Earth orbit network is anticipated to provide internet speeds of multiple gigabits per second, with a significant portion of the infrastructure already established, awaiting required permits.

Starlink provides fast, low-latency internet access to users globally. Starlink claims that its satellites are regularly upgraded with the latest technology. Starlink's existing capacity stands at 350 terabits per second, anticipated to increase significantly with the rollout of third-generation satellites.