The Indian government got cold feet on Starlink just before SpaceX's IPO | TechCrunch

Last day to exhibit your breakthrough to 10,000+ tech leaders at Disrupt is on Oct 2. Book Exhibit Table Now. Disrupt doors open Oct. 13. Get your pass and bring someone with you at 50% off. REGISTER NOW. SpaceX’s plans to add millions of new subscribers to its satellite internet network could founder over the Indian government’s fears that the company will not obey its laws. SpaceX obtained a license to begin operating in India in 2025, after years of lobbying officials in New Delhi. While progress has been made toward a roll-out of the service there, Bloomberg now reports that Indian officials have paused the effort after SpaceX allowed Starlink access inside Iran despite not having legal permission to operate there. “Starlink remains in active and productive discussions with the Government of India contrary to misleading stories based upon unsubstantiated claims from anonymous sources,” SpaceX VP of Starlink operations Lauren Dreyer said in a social media post. Bloomberg did not report that discussions had stopped. Delays in offering the service in India could present a hiccup ahead of SpaceX’s IPO, where financial disclosures showed that Starlink’s customer growth is slowing. T