Maharashtra Makes History: Becomes First Indian State to Partner With Starlink

Fadnavis shared that the Government of Maharashtra has signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) with Starlink Satellite Communications Private Limited during a meeting with Lauren Dreyer, Vice President of Starlink, in Mumbai. The partnership aims to connect government institutions, rural communities, and critical public infrastructure across regions that have long struggled with poor or no internet access.

According to Fadnavis, the collaboration will begin in some of Maharashtra's most remote and underserved districts such as Gadchiroli, Nandurbar, Dharashiv, and Washim. These areas have often faced challenges due to their difficult terrain and lack of digital connectivity. The initiative, he said, will help bridge this gap and strengthen the foundation of the state's development programs.

"BIG NEWS! Maharashtra becomes India's first state to partner with Starlink! It was wonderful to welcome Ms. Lauren Dreyer, Vice President, Starlink in Mumbai today," Fadnavis wrote on X. He added that it was "an honour that the company is arriving in India and partnering with Maharashtra."

Starlink, founded by Elon Musk, is one of the world's largest satellite communication companies and operates thousands of low-earth orbit satellites providing internet services globally. With this agreement, Maharashtra becomes the first Indian state to officially collaborate with the firm to expand digital access using satellite technology.

Fadnavis said that the Maharashtra-Starlink collaboration supports the state's flagship Digital Maharashtra mission and will integrate with key initiatives like electric vehicle expansion, coastal development, and disaster resilience programs. These efforts, he said, are part of a larger goal to make Maharashtra "future-ready" and set a benchmark for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Digital India mission at the grassroots level.

"With this landmark decision, Maharashtra will lead India in satellite-enabled digital infrastructure. This is a giant leap towards a future-ready Maharashtra and setting the benchmark for Hon PM Narendra Modi Ji's Digital India mission at the grassroots," Fadnavis said.

"Congratulations Maharashtra!" Fadnavis concluded in his post.

In early June, Starlink received clearance from the Indian space regulator, the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe). Starlink was provided with a license by the government to launch GMPCS (Global Mobile Personal Communication by Satellite) services, VSAT Services and ISP Category-A under unified license.

In June, Elon Musk's Starlink was restricted to serving only 20 lakh customers across India with speeds up to 200 Mbps, Union Minister of State for Communications Pemmasani Chandra Sekhar said.

Speaking on the sidelines of a Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) review meeting, the minister downplayed concerns about satellite communication services posing a significant threat to existing telecom operators, particularly the state-run Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL).

Airtel and Jio have also partnered with Starlink to bring the latter's high-speed satellite internet services to their customers in India. Starlink will use Airtel and Jio's strong dealership network to sell and promote its services.

Satellite telecom in India will help the country provide much-needed services in remote interior places where conventional telecom services tend to be costly.

- ANI