The Gujarat government has signed a Letter of Intent (LoI) with Starlink, the satellite internet company owned by Elon Musk’s SpaceX, to provide high-speed broadband connectivity in remote, tribal and underserved areas of the state. The move is aimed at bridging the digital divide in regions where traditional telecom infrastructure is weak or unavailable.
The LoI was signed in Gandhinagar in the presence of Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi. Senior officials from the state government and representatives of Starlink formalised the agreement, marking Gujarat as one of the first Indian states to explore satellite-based internet solutions at scale.
Under the proposed partnership, Starlink’s low-Earth orbit satellite technology will be used to deliver fast and reliable internet without dependence on fibre cables or mobile towers. This makes it suitable for hilly terrain, forest regions, coastal belts, border areas and islands, where laying physical infrastructure is challenging and costly.
The initial focus will be on connecting government schools, primary health centres, Common Service Centres (CSCs), e-governance offices, disaster management control rooms and remote administrative units. Officials said the project will support online education, telemedicine, digital governance, emergency response systems and public service delivery.
Tribal and aspirational districts are expected to benefit significantly, with improved access to digital learning tools, specialist healthcare consultations and government welfare services. The state also plans to explore satellite connectivity for ports, coastal security, wildlife sanctuaries, highways and industrial estates, especially in areas with patchy network coverage.