Airtel Joins SpaceX to Provide Starlink Internet Across India
New Delhi, March 11, 2025 – Airtel today unveiled a major partnership with SpaceX to bring high-speed satellite internet services via Starlink to its customers in India. This collaboration marks a pioneering moment, as it is the first agreement of its kind to be signed in India. The partnership is contingent on SpaceX receiving the necessary regulatory approvals to operate Starlink in India.
The deal enables Airtel and SpaceX to jointly explore various ways in which Starlink can enhance Airtel’s existing services. Airtel’s deep market knowledge in India, combined with SpaceX’s cutting-edge satellite technology, offers a unique opportunity to expand connectivity options across the nation, especially in remote areas.
Key Highlights of the Partnership:
- Expansion to Rural Areas: Airtel and SpaceX plan to work together to bring Starlink’s high-speed satellite internet to underserved areas, including rural communities, schools, health centers, and businesses in parts of India with limited or no broadband coverage.
- Retail Integration: Airtel aims to offer Starlink’s satellite equipment in its retail stores across India, giving customers direct access to the service.
- Business and Enterprise Solutions: The two companies will explore offering Starlink services tailored to businesses, allowing them to benefit from reliable, high-speed broadband, regardless of location.
- Network Synergies: Both Airtel and SpaceX will investigate how Starlink can complement Airtel’s ground network, potentially strengthening both companies’ infrastructure and enhancing the overall connectivity experience for users.
A Comprehensive Connectivity Solution
Airtel continues its mission to offer robust and dependable connectivity solutions powered by the latest technological advancements. By adding Starlink to its portfolio, alongside its existing partnership with Eutelsat OneWeb, Airtel is poised to extend its reach even further. This collaboration will help provide nationwide internet coverage, particularly in areas that are currently underserved, making it possible for more Indians to stay connected than ever before.
Airtel’s commitment to delivering seamless, customer-first solutions means that, with the addition of Starlink, both individual customers and enterprises will benefit from comprehensive, high-speed internet services. This partnership underscores Airtel’s dedication to supporting India’s digital future.
A Milestone for Digital Connectivity
Gopal Vittal, Managing Director and Vice Chairman of Bharti Airtel, remarked, “Our collaboration with SpaceX to bring Starlink’s high-speed internet to India is a significant milestone in our journey to ensure that no one is left behind when it comes to connectivity. With this partnership, we can now provide reliable, fast internet even to the most remote and rural parts of India. This will complement Airtel’s existing products and services, making broadband accessible and affordable for every Indian.”
Vittal further emphasized that Airtel’s focus remains on continuous innovation, allowing the company to provide the best connectivity solutions to all customers, in collaboration with global leaders like SpaceX.
SpaceX’s Vision for India
Gwynne Shotwell, President and COO of SpaceX, expressed enthusiasm for the partnership, stating, “We are excited to collaborate with Airtel and bring the transformative power of Starlink to India. Starlink has already demonstrated its ability to change lives around the world, and we are confident that together with Airtel, we can bring these benefits to millions of people, businesses, and organizations across India.”
SpaceX’s Starlink satellite constellation is known for delivering high-speed, low-latency broadband internet, and this collaboration marks a new chapter in expanding those benefits to more customers in India, especially in hard-to-reach regions.
About Airtel
Bharti Airtel is one of the world’s leading telecommunications companies, with over 550 million customers in 15 countries across India, Africa, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka. The company is a market leader in mobile broadband services and is known for its innovative digital solutions in various sectors, including digital payments, cloud services, and cybersecurity. Airtel also offers high-speed internet through Airtel Xstream Fiber and is committed to delivering the best customer experiences across its diverse services. For more information, visit www.airtel.com.
About Starlink by SpaceX
Starlink, operated by SpaceX, provides high-speed, low-latency internet using a constellation of satellites in low Earth orbit. With capabilities to support streaming, video calls, and online gaming, Starlink offers a reliable broadband solution to users across the globe. The service is designed to bridge the connectivity gap for remote and rural areas where traditional internet infrastructure is not available.
This collaboration between Airtel and SpaceX is set to revolutionize how millions of Indians access the internet, marking an important step toward building a more connected India.
