Jio announces deal to bring Starlink to India just hours after similar Airtel partnership

Jio Platforms, a subsidiary of India’s conglomerate Reliance Industries and the country’s largest telecom operator, has announced a partnership with Elon Musk’s SpaceX to offer Starlink’s satellite broadband internet services to its customers in India.

As part of the agreement, subject to regulatory approvals, Jio and SpaceX will collaborate to explore the use of Starlink to enhance Jio’s offerings. Jio will also sell Starlink equipment through its retail outlets and online storefronts, with plans to establish a mechanism for customer service installation and activation.

Airtel, India’s second-largest telecom operator, also announced a similar partnership with SpaceX to offer Starlink services. Both partnerships are subject to regulatory approvals in the country.

In addition to offering Starlink services to enterprise customers nationwide, Jio and SpaceX are looking into other areas of cooperation to leverage their infrastructure in India.

Matthew Oomen, Group CEO of Reliance Jio, stated, “By integrating Starlink into Jio’s broadband ecosystem, we are expanding our reach and enhancing the reliability and accessibility of high-speed broadband in this AI-driven era.”

This collaboration marks SpaceX’s renewed efforts to enter the Indian market after a previous setback. The latest developments follow Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit to the U.S., where deals were signed for various projects, including a global subsea cable initiative.

Both Jio and Airtel have been exploring satellite-based broadband services, with JioSpaceFiber and OneWeb, respectively. It will be interesting to see how these partnerships unfold amidst the competitive landscape in India’s telecom sector.

Gwynne Shotwell, president and COO of SpaceX, expressed excitement about working with Jio and gaining authorization from the Government of India to expand Starlink’s services in the country.