Starlink Will Keep User Data in the Country: VP Lauren Dreyer

Starlink has developed India-specific security controls and built 20 gateway sites in the country, said Lauren Dreyer, Vice President of Starlink Business Operations at SpaceX, adding that the company is "keeping Indian users' data within India."

Speaking at India Mobile Congress 2026 in New Delhi on Wednesday, Dreyer said Starlink has invested in the infrastructure needed to serve the Indian market. India has licensed three satellite communication companies, including Starlink, to offer services.

"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," she said.

20 GATEWAYS, HUNDREDS OF ANTENNAS

Dreyer said the ground infrastructure was already in place. "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," she said.

She said Starlink has worked with Indian regulators, industry stakeholders and operators for five years to adapt to the country's requirements. "What India has achieved digitally is extraordinary," she added.

Starlink has not yet begun commercial service in India. Dreyer said the company is still waiting for the government to complete its work. "Hopefully, next time I address the Congress, the government's work will be complete, and Starlink will be authorized and ready," she said.

She said the company is awaiting security and foreign direct investment clearances. "We're ready to help Prime Minister Modi achieve his vision of 100% connectivity throughout India," she added.

SPACEX'S WIDER PUSH

Dreyer also described the larger SpaceX technology push. "With Falcon 9, reusable rockets at scale became reality, and we've baked all of that learning into the next generation Starship launch vehicle, which, of course, just reached orbit," she said.

She further said that SpaceX AI is building computing capacity "at enormous scale, first here on Earth and in the future in orbit," while Starlink provides high-speed connectivity to places that traditional infrastructure has been unable to reach.

HOW STARLINK GOT HERE

Starlink has been seeking permission to operate in India since 2022. In 2021, it opened pre-bookings before getting a licence, prompting the government to order refunds to more than 5,000 customers.

It received its Global Mobile Personal Communication by Satellite (GMPCS) licence from the Department of Telecommunications in June 2025, valid for 20 years, and authorisation from the space regulator IN-SPACe the next month, valid for five years. That made it the third licensee after Eutelsat OneWeb and the Reliance Jio-SES joint venture.

None of the three has launched services. What they lack is assigned spectrum, and the government has yet to decide on pricing. India's telecom regulator, TRAI, recommended a 4 per cent adjusted gross revenue fee under administrative allocation, the route Starlink backs.

Jio had pushed for an auction. The government sided with Musk that spectrum should be assigned and not auctioned.

Security clearance has also been a hurdle. Starlink must demonstrate through testing and trials that it meets the security rules it signed up for. In June 2026, reports said India had frozen its final security clearances, which Starlink disputed. In August, Starlink reapplied to IN-SPACe for authorisation of its Gen 2 satellites after an earlier application was rejected over features and spectrum.

Deloitte has forecast that India's satellite broadband market will be worth $1.9 billion by 2030. Starlink has said its focus in India will be rural areas. It had earlier planned just three gateways in the country, while OneWeb and Jio-SES each operate two. Amazon's Project Kuiper is still awaiting a licence.

With inputs from ANI