New Delhi:
The RSS-affiliated Swadeshi Jagran Manch (SJM) on Tuesday urged the Centre to withhold permission for Elon Musk-owned Starlink to launch commercial satellite broadband services in India, citing national security concerns and the company’s alleged failure to address regulatory requirements.
The organisation’s demand comes amid a public exchange between Musk and industrialist Mukesh Ambani over India’s satellite broadband market. Musk had addressed Ambani as āPrime Minister Ambaniā on X and accused him of protecting a monopoly. He subsequently shared screenshots of media reports alleging links between Reliance-funded activities and political social media campaigns.
Reliance has not publicly responded to Musk’s allegations. The government, meanwhile, has maintained that India’s authorisation framework for telecommunications and satellite services is fair and non-discriminatory, describing suggestions of selective application as baseless.
SJM national co-convenor Ashwani Mahajan said India was entitled to deny Starlink a licence if the company failed to address legitimate national security concerns.
Mahajan criticised Musk for making allegations against Indian businesses and the government instead of responding to clarifications sought from the company on security grounds. He alleged that the company might be attempting to create public pressure to secure regulatory approval, although Starlink’s application had neither been approved nor rejected.
The SJM also raised concerns about satellite-to-satellite laser links, arguing that they could allow Indian internet traffic to travel through foreign infrastructure and potentially bypass domestic gateways, complicating lawful monitoring and enforcement.
Mahajan said the government wanted Indian internet traffic to be routed through gateways located within the country. He also expressed concern that satellite internet could be exploited by hostile actors, smugglers and insurgent groups to communicate beyond conventional telecommunications networks.
Citing security experiences in countries including Ukraine, Iran, Russia, China, Taiwan, South Africa, Brazil, Venezuela and Sudan, Mahajan argued that satellite communications required appropriate safeguards.
He also recalled the organisation’s opposition to the participation of Chinese telecommunications companies Huawei and ZTE in India’s 5G trials on security grounds. He claimed that the subsequent development of indigenous 5G technology demonstrated that India could pursue domestic alternatives.
The SJM maintained that denying Starlink a licence would not prevent India from developing satellite-based internet services. It argued that indigenous solutions could eventually provide affordable connectivity to remote areas while ensuring national security.
The Centre has yet to grant Starlink permission to roll out its commercial satellite broadband services in India.