As part of this partnership, Airtel and SpaceX will consider making Starlink equipment available through Airtel’s retail stores
Indian carrier Bharti Airtel announced that it has entered into an agreement with SpaceX to offer Starlink’s broadband services to customers in India.
In a release, Airtel noted that this marks the first such agreement in the country, contingent upon SpaceX securing regulatory approvals to officially provide Starlink services in the Asian nation.
The collaboration allows Airtel and SpaceX to explore how Starlink can complement Airtel’s existing offerings while also leveraging Airtel’s expertise in the Indian market to enhance SpaceX’s direct consumer and business services.
As part of this partnership, Airtel and SpaceX will consider making Starlink equipment available through Airtel’s retail stores, delivering Starlink connectivity to Airtel’s business clients and extending coverage to remote areas, including schools, health centers and entire communities. Additionally, both companies will explore ways in which Starlink can enhance Airtel’s network while SpaceX benefits from Airtel’s infrastructure and operational capabilities within India.
By integrating Starlink into its portfolio — alongside its current partnership with Eutelsat OneWeb — Airtel aims to expand its coverage, particularly in regions that currently have little or no access to broadband services.
“Working with SpaceX to offer Starlink to Airtel customers in India is a significant milestone and further demonstrates our commitment to next-generation satellite connectivity,” said Gopal Vittal, managing director and vice chairman at Bharti Airtel. “This collaboration enhances our ability to bring world-class high-speed broadband to even the most remote parts of India, ensuring that every individual, business, and community has reliable internet. Starlink will complement and enhance Airtel’s suite of products to ensure reliable and affordable broadband for our Indian customers — wherever they live and work,” he added
Gwynne Shotwell, president and COO of SpaceX, said: “We are excited to work with Airtel and unlock the transformative impact Starlink can bring to the people of India. We are constantly amazed by the incredible and inspiring things that people, businesses and organizations do when they are connected via Starlink. The team at Airtel has played a pivotal role in India’s telecom story, so working with them to complement our direct offering makes great sense for our business.”
Bharti Airtel’s chairman Sunil Mittal has recently called on governments and regulators to incentivize telecom operators to expand rural connectivity, support industry consolidation and lower spectrum costs.
Speaking at Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2025 in Barcelona, he emphasized the urgent need for cooperation between terrestrial and satellite operators to close the connectivity gap for the last 400 million people worldwide.
Mittal stressed that consolidation in the telecom sector is essential to enable operators to invest heavily in infrastructure and partner with satellite providers. He argued that the industry should focus on sharing resources rather than duplicating investments.
