Elon Musk-led Starlink, the satellite internet division of SpaceX, is inching closer to its long-awaited India launch with a major partnership in Maharashtra aimed at boosting digital access across healthcare centers and remote regions.

According to officials familiar with the development, Starlink has begun pilot connectivity programs in collaboration with the Maharashtra government to provide high-speed, low-latency internet to Primary Health Centers (PHCs) and rural hospitals. The initiative seeks to bridge the digital divide and strengthen telemedicine, e-learning, and e-governance capabilities in underserved communities.

The partnership is expected to play a crucial role in digitizing healthcare infrastructure, enabling real-time data sharing, remote diagnostics, and video consultations between rural health workers and urban medical specialists.

“Reliable internet connectivity is a backbone for modern healthcare delivery,” said a senior government official. “Starlink’s low-orbit satellite technology will allow even the most remote areas of Maharashtra to access high-quality digital health services.”

Starlink’s entry comes as India intensifies efforts to expand rural digital infrastructure under initiatives such as Digital India and Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM). With this collaboration, Maharashtra could become the first Indian state to operationalize Starlink services for public sector applications, including health, education, and disaster response.

The company has already received necessary approvals from the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) and is awaiting final licensing clearance from the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) to begin commercial operations.

Once fully operational, Starlink’s constellation of over 6,000 satellites is expected to deliver speeds of up to 150 Mbps, revolutionizing internet access in India’s most connectivity-challenged regions