After Airtel, Reliance Jio inks pact with Elon Musk’s SpaceX for Starlink internet

Mumbai/New Delhi: A day after Airtel entered into an agreement with Elon Musk promoted SpaceX to bring Starlink’s highspeed broadband internet in India, Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Jio also said it has entered into a similar agreement with SpaceX.

Jio Platforms Limited (JPL) announced an agreement with SpaceX to offer Starlink’s broadband internet services to its customers in India. This agreement, which is subject to SpaceX receiving its own authorizations to sell Starlink in India, enables Jio and SpaceX to explore how Starlink can extend Jio’s offerings and how Jio can complement SpaceX’s direct offerings to consumers and businesses, Reliance Industries said in a regulatory filing with the stock exchanges.

Jio will make Starlink solutions available through its retail outlets as well as through its online storefronts.

Through this agreement, the parties will leverage Jio’s position as the world's largest mobile operator in terms of data traffic and Starlink’s position as the world’s leading low Earth orbit satellite constellation operator to deliver reliable broadband services across the country, including the most rural and remote regions of India.

Jio will not only offer Starlink equipment in its retail outlets but will establish a mechanism to support customer service installation and activation, RIL said.

The agreement with SpaceX is part of Jio’s commitment to ensuring that reliable internet is fully accessible to all enterprises, small and medium businesses, and communities across India.

Starlink complements JioAirFiber and JioFiber by extending high speed internet to the most challenging of locations in a quick and affordable manner.

Jio and SpaceX are also evaluating other complementary areas of cooperation to leverage their respective infrastructure to further enhance India’s digital ecosystem.

“Ensuring that every Indian, no matter where they live, has access to affordable and high-speed broadband remains Jio’s top priority," said Mathew Oommen, Group CEO, Reliance Jio. "Our collaboration with SpaceX to bring Starlink to India strengthens our commitment and marks a transformative step toward seamless broadband connectivity for all. By integrating Starlink into Jio’s broadband ecosystem, we are expanding our reach and enhancing the reliability and accessibility of highspeed broadband in this AI-driven era, empowering communities and businesses across the country."

“We applaud Jio’s commitment to advancing India’s connectivity” said Gwynne Shotwell, President and Chief Operating Officer of SpaceX. “We are looking forward to working with Jio and receiving authorization from the Government of India to provide more people, organizations and businesses with access to Starlink’s highspeed internet services.”