New Delhi, Dec 8 (IANS) Elon Musk’s Starlink has inched closer to its long-awaited commercial debut in India, with the company displaying complete residential pricing on its local website.

The satellite-based internet service is priced at Rs 8,600 per month, and new subscribers have to purchase a hardware kit for Rs 34,000.

The residential plan is designed to help users assess service quality in their area before committing to it long-term, with unlimited data and a 30-day trial period.

Starlink emphasises features like plug-and-play installation, more than 99.9 per cent uptime, extreme weather resistance, and no data caps for its push to reach those consumers in regions where terrestrial broadband remains unreliable.

While the residential package is now publicly detailed, the company has yet to make an announcement on how much pricing will be for its business-tier offerings. Starlink is expected to unveil its full commercial plans once ongoing consultations with government authorities progress further.

Recent hiring activity by the company hints at a ramp-up in operations in preparation for launch. At the end of October, SpaceX opened four Bengaluru-based positions: Payments Manager, Accounting Manager, Senior Treasury Analyst and Tax Manager; describing recruitment as part of a wider international expansion strategy.

Earlier, the Maharashtra government signed a Letter of Intent (LoI) with Starlink Satellite Communications Private Limited to formally collaborate with Starlink to deploy satellite-based internet services for government institutions, rural communities, and critical public infrastructure across remote and underserved regions and aspirational districts in Maharashtra, such as Gadchiroli, Nandurbar, Dharashiv, and Washim.

The LoI signing was done in the presence of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and state Information Technology Minister, Ashish Shelar.

“It was wonderful to welcome Lauren Dreyer, Vice President, Starlink, in Mumbai, where the Government of Maharashtra signed an LoI with Starlink Satellite Communications Private Limited, marking Maharashtra as the first Indian state to formally collaborate with Starlink. Elon Musk’s Starlink is one of the largest companies in the ICT industry, holding the largest number of communication satellites in the world. It is our honour that the company is arriving in India and partnering with Maharashtra,” CM Fadnavis had posted on his official X handle.

–IANS

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