Starlink builds 20 India gateway sites, keeps user data within country; eyes last-mile connectivity

SpaceX-owned satellite communications company Starlink has built 20 gateway sites comprising hundreds of antennas in India and established India-specific security controls to keep Indian user data within the country, as it prepares to begin commercial operations in the market.

Lauren Dreyer, Vice President, Starlink Business Operations at SpaceX, said the company has already invested in the ground infrastructure required to serve India and has tailored its operations to meet the country’s security and regulatory requirements.

“We’ve built our Starlink operations specifically for India in recognition of Indian security requirements and other regulations, establishing controls at every layer for India, and keeping Indian user data within India,” Dreyer said at India Mobile Congress 2026. 

The company has been preparing for the Indian market for the past five years, working with regulators, industry stakeholders and telecom operators to adapt its operations to local requirements. “We’ve already made the investment and built the existing ground infrastructure here, 20 gateway sites comprising hundreds of antennas, and we’ve established the operations to be ready to serve India,” Dreyer said.

“We’re standing ready to serve India. Once India is ready,” she said. “We’re ready to work for the government, ready to work with operators, ready to work with industries.”

Starlink has also established memorandums of understanding with telecom operators Airtel and Jio and has been working with state governments as part of its preparations for deployment in India. Dreyer said the company has been listening to governments, operators and other stakeholders to understand where satellite connectivity can address gaps in terrestrial networks.

Starlink is among three companies that have received licences to provide satellite communication services in India. However, commercial services have not yet begun, with the company still awaiting the necessary government clearances, including security approvals. Dreyer indicated that Starlink is ready to begin once the government’s processes are complete. “Hopefully, next time I address the Congress, the government’s good work will have been complete, Starlink will be authorised and ready,” she said.

Starlink sees last-mile connectivity as biggest India opportunity

Dreyer said India’s rapid expansion of digital connectivity has left a more difficult challenge in the form of the last mile, particularly in areas where traditional telecom infrastructure is difficult or expensive to deploy. “What India has achieved digitally is extraordinary. Hundreds of millions of people connected, affordable data at scale, a digital economy growing rapidly. But the last mile remains, and it’s the most challenging to connect,” she said.

Starlink is positioning its satellite network as a way to extend connectivity to remote communities, while also supporting existing telecom networks. Dreyer highlighted potential applications including connecting 4G and 5G towers in areas that terrestrial networks cannot easily reach, along with digital classrooms, telemedicine, disaster response and connectivity for farmers and fishermen.

Starlink currently has around 11,000 satellites in orbit, according to Dreyer, and provides high-speed, low-latency connectivity across more than 100 countries. She said the network is designed to provide connectivity across locations on land and at sea, including fixed sites, homes and businesses.

Dreyer also highlighted SpaceX’s wider relationship with India’s space sector. She said SpaceX has launched Indian communications satellites, carried Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla to the International Space Station and supported Indian space companies through two dedicated missions and 19 rideshare missions.

The Starlink executive also outlined SpaceX’s broader technology ambitions, including its plans to build AI computing capacity at scale. “With SpaceX AI, we’re building AI compute at enormous scale, first here on Earth and in the future in orbit to fully harness the power of the sun,” Dreyer said, adding that Starlink would provide connectivity to places traditional infrastructure has been unable to reach.