How the Indian government played matchmaker between Starlink, Jio and Airtel

A pitched telecom battle seemed inevitable when Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite service made a serious bid to enter the Indian market last year. Not long after, the corridors of New Delhi’s Sanchar Bhawan, which houses the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), were abuzz with the lobbying efforts of telecom leaders opposed to the entry of a high-profile rival in what’s effectively been a duopoly for many years now. 

The incumbents, Reliance Jio Infocomm and Bharti Airtel, were staunchly opposed to the government’s position to assign air frequencies to satellite operators like Starlink without auctions. 

Last week, against the run of play, both Bharti and Jio announced that they would distribute Starlink services in India. Starlink still awaits a licence for its much-awaited entry into India, but the decks are being cleared. At the same time, under the current arrangement, the incumbents can breathe easy. At least, for now.