SpaceX Starlink Aiming for 200,000 Terminals in India; Elon Musk Reacts

Thousands of residents from India might soon benefit from the Starlink internet service. SpaceX's India country director recently revealed their ambitious plan to offer 200,000 active terminals across the country if the company could secure its regulatory approval from the local government.

According to TechCrunch, SpaceX is taking one step forward with its global expansion after it recently registered its business in India. The company currently has pending approval for its licenses and proposals with the local government. They placed Sanjay Bhargava, a former PayPal executive, as the key representative for the project.

SpaceX Starlink India: The Rollout Plan

Anita Bhargava, wife of Sanjay Bhargava, explained the full details of Starlink's plans, officially called "Catalyzing Rural Development." Tesla Club India tweeted a two-minute video presentation of the proposal.

Anita said that in Starlink phase 1, the plan is to provide 100 Starlink kits to rural Indian communities, specifically among schools, for free. Starlink will distribute its ready-to-go hardware, featuring a phased-array dish antenna and Wi-Fi router to access the satellite network. A total of 20 of these Starlink kits will be delivered to Delhi schools, and the rest will be for other schools in the rural district.

Phase 2 of the program is to work with local leaders on 12 selected districts, composed of three areas per region (North, South, East, and West). These leaders and officials will draft their future plans and priorities for Starlink distribution.

Lastly, the company's phase 3 goal is to distribute and operate at least 200,000 Starlink devices in the country. Approximately 160,000 of these should be installed in rural communities across India.

According to Tesmanian, Sanjay said in a LinkedIn post that "Politicians and bureaucrats interested in working with Starlink and other broadband providers are welcome to contact me."

Keep in mind that the plan is still progressing, so changes might occur in the coming months. Regardless, this plan opens up huge potential for both India and SpaceX because nearly 75 percent of the country's rural areas do not have access to the internet. SpaceX might potentially open new market for its services.

Many fans anticipate its ongoing development.

Elon Musk Tweets Support for Starlink India

When Tesmanian tweeted their new update on Monday, fans were surprised to see Elon Musk reply. Musk said that "Sanjay deserves a lot of credit for making X/PayPal succeed. Now helping SpaceX serve rural communities in India. Much respect," implying massive support for the movement.

Sanjay thanked the CEO for being given the opportunity to support Indians. He said, "Very early days but we hope with the support of all of the amazing people in India, Starlink will play an important role in catalyzing rural development in India."