TL;DRIndia paused Starlink’s launch after unauthorised use in Iran raised fears New Delhi can’t control the network. SpaceX’s IPO is days away.
India has effectively frozen the approvals Starlink needs to begin commercial operations in the country. Security agencies under India’s Ministry of Home Affairs withheld final clearances after SpaceX allowed Starlink access inside Iran despite not having a licence to operate there, Bloomberg reported. The timing is awkward: SpaceX’s IPO, expected to raise $75 billion at a $1.75 trillion valuation, is days away.
SpaceX obtained an Indian operating licence in 2025 after years of lobbying. Progress was being made toward a launch. But the appearance of Starlink terminals in an active war zone without legal authorisation raised a fundamental question for New Delhi: can any government actually exercise control over Musk’s satellite network?
SpaceX VP of Starlink operations Lauren Dreyer pushed back on the reporting. “Starlink remains in active and productive discussions with the Government of India contrary to misleading stories based upon unsubstantiated claims from anonymous sources,” she wrote on X. Bloomberg did not report that discussions had stopped, only that approvals were paused.
