Elon Musk’s satellite internet venture Starlink briefly ignited excitement across India after its website accidentally displayed preliminary pricing for residential services. The listing showed a monthly subscription fee of ₹8,600 and a one-time hardware cost of ₹34,000 for the Starlink kit, which includes a satellite dish, Wi-Fi router and required cables. It also mentioned unlimited data and a 30-day trial period.
However, the numbers vanished soon after. Lauren Dreyer, Vice President of Starlink Business Operations, clarified that the figures were the result of a “configuration glitch” that exposed dummy test data, not the final pricing. She confirmed that Starlink’s India website is not yet live and that official plans have not been announced.
The brief appearance of pricing sparked widespread debate, as the displayed amounts were far higher than entry-level broadband plans offered by telecom majors such as Jio and Airtel, which typically range between ₹500 and ₹1,000 per month. This has positioned Starlink as a premium satellite broadband alternative rather than a mass-market service.
Despite the confusion, the promise of Starlink remains strong. The service aims to deliver high-speed, low-latency satellite internet to remote and underserved regions where traditional fiber and mobile networks struggle to reach. Key features are expected to include plug-and-play installation, weather-resilient performance, over 99.9% uptime and coverage across rural and hard-to-access locations.
Starlink is currently working toward securing final regulatory approvals from the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) before launching commercial services in India. The company is also expanding its hiring presence in the country as it prepares for rollout.
While business plan pricing is yet to be revealed, Starlink’s satellite-based model could transform connectivity in rural India, enabling better access to education, remote work, healthcare, and digital services in areas long underserved by conventional broadband infrastructure.
