Starlink reapplies for India Gen 2 satellite constellation approval
SpaceX's Starlink filed a fresh Gen 2 constellation application with India's IN-SPACe after regulators rejected its first bid.
what happened
SpaceX's Starlink submitted a new application to India's IN-SPACe seeking authorization for its Gen 2 satellite constellation, per BusinessToday, citing the Economic Times. The filing requests authorization for close to 30,000 satellites operating between 340 and 615 kilometers in low Earth orbit and includes direct-to-device connectivity, a feature IN-SPACe's earlier Gen 2 application lacked. IN-SPACe had rejected that earlier Gen 2 bid, citing non-conformity of certain features and spectrum bands, and in July 2025 approved only Starlink's 4,408-satellite Gen 1 constellation for traditional broadband.
why it matters
A Gen 2 grant would let Starlink offer direct-to-device service in India alongside its existing broadband push, in a market where SpaceX, Eutelsat OneWeb, and the Jio-SES joint venture all still lack the security clearances and spectrum allocations needed to launch commercial service. The reapplication shows SpaceX is still pursuing D2D authorization after one rejection, keeping India's unresolved D2D spectrum framework a live issue for every operator eyeing the market.
for who
Connectivity operators and resellers eyeing India's D2D market
signal-to-noise
quick facts
- Companies
- SpaceX
- Category
- regulatory
- Impact
- notable
- SNR
- 3 / 5
- Event date
- 2026-08-20
- Published
- 2026-08-20 05:32 UTC