NEW DELHI: Elon Musk’s Starlink signed an agreement with India’s top telecom operator on Wednesday to bring the US satellite Internet giant’s services to the world’s most populous country, a day after announcing a similar agreement with the country’s second-largest provider.
The deals with Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel, which together control more than 70 percent of India’s telecom market, could help bring Internet connections to millions of people who live in remote areas.
But they depend on Starlink obtaining government approval to enter India. The partnership announcements come weeks after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with Musk in Washington.
Deals will put Starlink devices in stores across India
Wednesday’s deal will allow Starlink to stock and sell its equipment in Jio’s thousands of retail outlets, giving the company direct distribution across India. Starlink will also use its partners’ network infrastructure to enhance satellite coverage across India, where a vast population still lacks Internet access.
A statement from Jio said Starlink will complement the Indian telecom giant’s broadband services “by extending high-speed Internet to the most challenging of locations in a quick and affordable manner.”
Jio will also provide installation and activation support for the Starlink devices, the statement said.
India has long been out of reach for Musk’s companies
Jio has long been at odds with Starlink over methods for awarding satellite service spectrum in India.
Jio had urged Indian government to grant spectrum for satellite services through auctions to ensure fair competition, while Musk wanted spectrum to be allocated administratively, in line with global trends. Indian government eventually decided to assign satellite spectrum.
It is unclear whether Starlink’s license application has already been approved, but local media reports suggest it is nearing initial regulatory approval.
Last November, India’s telecoms minister, Jyotiraditya Scindia, said Starlink had yet to comply with security norms, and that a license would be issued to the company only after it meets all the requirements.
Yet the biggest challenge Starlink faces in India could be pricing.
Mobile data in India is among the world’s cheapest — Ambani’s Jio once even gave it for free with mobile plans.
Tesla, Musk’s electric car maker, has also faced hurdles in India due to the country’s high import duties on vehicles, but it could be getting a boost as well. The copmany began hiring in India last month and has also signed a lease deal to open its first showroom in Mumbai, according to local news reports.
Starlink could help India bring millions online in remote areas
At least 40 percent of the country’s more than 1.4 billion people don’t have access to the Internet. Cheap satellite broadband is needed to bridge this gap, particularly in India’s vast remote and mountainous rural areas.
Starlink has at least 6,900 active satellites orbiting Earth that provide low-latency broadband, including to areas where Internet previously has been completely unavailable.
Musk’s Starlink could help remote parts of India get online under deals with telecoms players
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Musk’s Starlink could help remote parts of India get online under deals with telecoms players
- Deals with Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel, which together control more than 70 percent of India’s telecom market, could help bring Internet connections to millions of people who live in remote areas
India rolls out strictest anti-pollution curbs as toxic smog engulfs Delhi
- Private monitors in several parts of northern Delhi recorded AQI spikes between 550 and 700s
- Authorities invoked stage four of the capital region’s emergency pollution-control framework
NEW DELHI: India’s capital choked under a thick blanket of smog on Sunday, with the government imposing anti-pollution curbs after monitoring stations in some areas recorded extremely hazardous air quality.
Home to 30 million people, Delhi has not recorded a single “clean air” day in 2025, with Air Quality Index readings hitting high above the 50 score throughout the year.
On the AQI scale from 0 to 500, good air quality is represented by levels below 50, while levels above 300 are dangerous.
Worsening since late October, official records over the weekend were in the severe to severe-plus range of 400–500, but as 24-hour averages, they did not capture the peaks. Private monitors in several parts of North and North West Delhi recorded AQI spikes above 550 and even into the 700s in real-time.
On Saturday evening, the Ministry of Environment’s Commission for Air Quality Management invoked stage four — the highest level — of the Graded Response Action Plan for Delhi and surrounding areas.
To “prevent further deterioration of air quality in the region,” the commission suspended all non-essential construction, shut stone crushers and mining operations, stopped entry of trucks into the capital region, and ordered schools to shift to hybrid classes or online, where possible.
While authorities blamed the pollution on “adverse meteorological conditions,” residents have been demanding more government action.
“The situation is so bad in Delhi that we don’t have any option but to force kids to do online classes. The government has failed us; it has not done anything to address the issue,” said Nabanita Nayak, who decided for her teenage children to attend school online only, despite concerns over their screen addiction.
“If the kids are too much in front of laptops, that’s also an issue. As a mother, I am worried.”
Delhi’s pollution has been worsening since Diwali in late October, when the average AQI has been above 370, or “very poor.” Since mid-November, it has been over 400, which means “severe” air quality, with certain areas recording 500 and above, which is classified as a “hazardous” level.
“I don’t feel proud living in Delhi. It’s the capital city of the country … We talk about being a developed nation by 2047 — we have deadlines,” said Jagriti Arora, who is keeping her 7-year-old daughter at home to prevent allergy flare-ups caused by air pollution.
“The government has to do something … China had a big problem with pollution, but now they’ve managed to bring it down.”
Delhi’s air quality deteriorates in winter due to local emissions and seasonal weather conditions. Cold temperatures and low wind speeds result in a temperature inversion, which traps pollutants close to the ground instead of letting them disperse. This allows emissions from millions of vehicles, ongoing construction, and nearby industrial activity to accumulate in the air. Urban waste burning and dust from construction sites further add to it.
“This is not a new thing. This has been happening now for over 10 years,” Arora said. “You can see it. You don’t need to actually look at an AQI meter to see how bad the pollution is these days.”
