NEW DELHI, Nov 1 (Reuters) – Starlink, the satellite internet division of billionaire Elon Musk’s rocket company SpaceX, registered its business in India on Monday, company documents filed with the government showed, as it gears up to launch internet services in the country.
Having a local unit, Starlink Satellite Communications Private Limited, will allow the company to apply for licenses which it needs from the government before it can provide broadband and other satellite-based communication services.
“Pleased to share that SpaceX now has a 100% owned subsidiary in India,” country director for Starlink in India, Sanjay Bhargava, said in a LinkedIn post.
“We can now start applying for licenses, open bank accounts, etc,” said Bhargava, who according to his LinkedIn profile joined the company only in October.
Its competitors include Amazon.com’s (AMZN.O) Kuiper and OneWeb which is co-owned by the British government and India’s Bharti Enterprises.
It will also deal in devices such as satellite phones, network equipment, wired and wireless communication devices, as well as data transmission and reception equipment, it said.
Once it is allowed to provide services, Starlink will, in the first phase, give 100 devices for free to schools in Delhi and nearby rural districts. It will then target 12 rural districts across India.
