SpaceX-owned Starlink has kicked off its first round of hiring in India, signalling a rapid buildout ahead of its long-awaited satellite broadband launch in the country.
Starlink is recruiting for finance and accounting roles -- including payments manager, accounting manager, senior treasury analyst, and tax manager -- as part of its initial hiring drive, according to listings on the SpaceX careers page and LinkedIn. All roles are based in Bengaluru, Starlink's operational hub in India.
"As Starlink expands its global footprint to deliver its low-latency satellite broadband services worldwide, its Indian subsidiary is looking to hire an accounting manager to oversee financial reporting and compliance," SpaceX said in the job posting.
The Bengaluru-based role will be responsible for building and scaling accounting, reporting, and statutory compliance functions to support Starlink's India operations, the listing added. The company also specified that only locally based candidates with valid work authorisation would be considered and that remote or hybrid work options are not available.
The hiring drive comes as Starlink prepares to launch its satellite internet services in India by late 2025 or early 2026. The company is currently installing ground infrastructure and conducting security trials to comply with Indian government regulations.
Earlier this week, Starlink began demonstrating its satellite broadband service to law enforcement agencies (LEAs) in Mumbai, marking a key step toward commercial rollout, according to people familiar with the matter. The demonstration allows agencies to test Starlink's lawful interception and security compliance mechanisms, a mandatory requirement before the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) allocates spectrum.
In Mumbai, SpaceX has already set up three ground stations, which will serve as Starlink's India hub. Officials are expected to begin on-site inspections this week.
Starlink has also sought permission to establish three gateway stations -- in Mumbai, Chennai, and Noida -- with plans to expand to 9-10 gateways after launch. The next proposed locations include Chandigarh, Kolkata, and Lucknow, sources said.
Once commercially launched, Starlink will compete with Eutelsat OneWeb and Jio Satellite, both of which have received regulatory clearances but are awaiting spectrum allocation. The DoT and the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) are still finalizing pricing and allocation frameworks for satellite broadband spectrum.