Starlink Expands South Asia Presence With Sri Lanka Launch

Starlink, the satellite internet service operated by SpaceX, has officially launched in Sri Lanka, marking its third in South Asian market expansion following Bhutan and Bangladesh. The announcement was made by SpaceX’s founder and CEO, Elon Musk on X.

Parnil Urdhwareshe, Starlink’s senior executive for India, has been involved in the company’s regional expansion. He met with Sri Lankan presidential adviser Ruwan Wijewardene in July last year and had earlier engaged with Bangladeshi minister Zunaid Ahmed Palak prior to the country’s trial phase, as per the Dhaka Tribune.

In Sri Lanka, residential Starlink plans are priced between ₹3,430 and ₹4,280 (LKR 12,000–15,000) per month, while portable ‘roam’ packages range from ₹4,280 to ₹8,560 (LKR 15,000–30,100). The hardware kit comes with a one-time cost of ₹17,185 to ₹33,685 (LKR 60,200–1,18,000). These rates are consistent with pricing in the other two South Asian markets.

Though Starlink recently received a Global Mobile Personal Communications by Satellite (GMPCS) license in India which was a critical step towards operating but it still awaits orbital slot assignments from IN-SPACe and spectrum allocation from India’s Department of Telecommunications. Such regulatory delays are not unusual. 

Sri Lanka, for instance, granted Starlink a five-year license in August 2024, months before the service became operational.

As of March 2025, Sri Lanka had 21.5 million mobile broadband users (including 3G and 4G) and 2.6 million fixed-line broadband connections, per the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka.

Meanwhile, Starlink continues to seek regulatory approvals in Myanmar, Nepal, and Pakistan, all of India’s neighbours except China.

While the rollout of Starlink in India is not immediate, the regulatory progress marks a significant milestone. The final steps promise a satellite-based internet which will bring connectivity to the farthest corners of India.