The Telangana government has extended an invitation to Elon Musk’s Starlink to establish an engineering global capability centre (GCC) in Hyderabad, marking the state’s continued efforts to attract major technology investments.
A senior government source confirmed that the state has encouraged the satellite internet company to consider Hyderabad as a base for its global engineering and technology operations. The official emphasized that Hyderabad has established itself as a preferred destination for multinational GCC investments.
A senior state government official stated that Telangana is proactively engaging with a wide range of global companies as part of its broader push to attract GCC investments. The primary focus of engagement with the US company remains centered on GCC establishment rather than satellite connectivity services.
However, officials noted that with affordable 5G connectivity now widely available across the state, there may not be significant consumer demand for premium-priced satellite internet services. The source observed that satellite-based services could be more relevant for specific institutional use cases, such as banking and enterprise operations.
Beyond Starlink, Telangana is also in discussions with US telecom major T-Mobile to explore the possibility of establishing a GCC in Hyderabad, according to government sources.
The state has reportedly attracted over 75 greenfield GCCs in 2025, compared to 40+ in Karnataka. This represents a notable shift, with Telangana overtaking Karnataka as the leading destination for new GCC establishments in India.
Meanwhile, Starlink has announced plans to lower the operating altitude of its entire satellite constellation beginning in 2026. Satellites currently operating at about 550 km will be gradually moved down to around 480 km.
Michael Nicolls, SpaceX’s vice president of Starlink engineering, explained that lower orbits help minimize long-term debris risks and reduce the chances of collisions as satellite launches increase globally.
The decision follows an incident disclosed by Starlink in December, when a satellite experienced an anomaly at an altitude of roughly 418 km, lost communication, and generated a small amount of debris.
Industry observers suggest the orbital adjustment may also support Starlink’s ambitions to offer satellite-to-cell connectivity, as lower orbits reduce signal delay and power consumption for basic services such as texting and light data use in remote areas.
