Swadeshi Jagran Manch Seeks Rejection of Starlink Licence, Cites India’s National Security Concerns
The Swadeshi Jagran Manch (SJM) has strongly condemned what it describes as irresponsible statements made by Elon Musk, the world’s wealthiest businessman, regarding India’s regulatory requirements for satellite-based internet services.
The issue concerns Starlink, a company owned by Elon Musk, which has applied for a licence to launch and operate commercial satellite broadband services in India. However, the application has neither been approved nor rejected so far.
The Swadeshi Jagran Manch has expressed disappointment that, instead of responding to the clarifications sought from his company on national security grounds, Musk has chosen to make indirect allegations against Indian businesses and the government. According to SJM, this raises concerns about whether Starlink is willing or technically capable of meeting India’s specific regulatory requirements. The organisation believes that Musk may be attempting to create public pressure on the government to secure the licence or that his statements stem from frustration over the regulatory process.
The organisation has emphasised that Starlink’s technology presents specific challenges in meeting India’s regulatory requirements. Starlink uses laser-based inter-satellite links to transmit data directly between satellites before it reaches a ground station. The Indian government is examining this system to ensure that data traffic does not bypass Indian gateways, particularly during security-related emergencies.
One of the key regulatory requirements is that Starlink must be capable of precisely restricting or suspending its services whenever directed by the government. However, SJM claims that Starlink has not provided the necessary commitment or demonstrated that its technology can fully meet this requirement.
India is currently grappling with various law-and-order challenges. In such circumstances, internet-based social media platforms can sometimes become channels for spreading rumours and anti-national narratives. Suspending or restricting internet services in specific areas frequently becomes necessary to maintain law and order during incidents involving separatism, terrorism, riots, protests and other security-related situations.
Furthermore, Starlink satellites can communicate with one another through laser links. India’s concern, according to SJM, is that domestic internet traffic could potentially bypass Indian gateways and travel through foreign infrastructure, making lawful monitoring and enforcement more difficult. The government wants all Indian internet traffic to be routed through gateways located within the country.
There are also concerns that satellite-based internet services could be exploited by hostile actors, smugglers, or insurgent groups to communicate beyond conventional telecommunications networks. Reports of unauthorised terminals operating near sensitive borders and conflict zones have added to these concerns. Security agencies have also reportedly recovered Starlink equipment during several investigations.
It is noteworthy that India has developed and expanded its broadband and mobile data services using indigenous technology. According to SJM, these services are among the cheapest in the world, with costs estimated at approximately 17 per cent of those in China and just one per cent of those in the United States. The organisation also points out that domestic internet services can be suspended or restricted in affected areas whenever required by the authorities, a capability that it believes Starlink’s space-based laser technology may not adequately provide.
In addition, existing telecommunications operators have been cooperating with security and investigative agencies whenever necessary, and their technological infrastructure is aligned with India’s national security requirements.
The apprehensions expressed by the Swadeshi Jagran Manch regarding the security risks associated with Starlink are based on developments and experiences in countries such as Ukraine, Iran, Russia, China, Taiwan, South Africa, Brazil, Venezuela and Sudan, among others. SJM considers the experiences of Ukraine, Iran, Russia, China and Taiwan particularly relevant for analysing the national security implications of satellite-based internet services.
Previous Experience: India’s Move Towards Indigenous 5G Technology
The Swadeshi Jagran Manch wishes to place on record that this is not the first time it has raised concerns about the introduction of foreign telecommunications technology on national security grounds.
Mobile internet technology has undergone continuous improvements, progressing from 2G to 3G, 4G and subsequently 5G, with each generation offering significantly higher data speeds and improved capabilities.
The Government of India initiated efforts to introduce 5G technology in 2019, when the technology had not yet been fully developed domestically. At that time, global competition in 5G technology was limited to a handful of companies, with China’s Huawei being among the most price-competitive providers.
The Swadeshi Jagran Manch opposed the inclusion of Huawei in India’s 5G trials, citing security concerns. Following SJM’s opposition, neither Huawei nor another Chinese company, ZTE, was permitted to conduct trials in India.
Meanwhile, Indian companies and scientists continued working towards developing indigenous 5G technology. According to SJM, these efforts eventually resulted in the development of domestic 5G technology, popularly referred to as 5Gi. Today, alongside indigenous 4G technology, domestic 5G capabilities have also been introduced in several locations across the country.
Self-Reliance in Satellite-Based Internet
While India entered the space technology arena later than countries such as the United States, European nations and Russia, it has rapidly emerged as a significant player in the global space sector.
India’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) programme and Chandrayaan missions have earned international recognition. Meanwhile, ambitious projects such as Gaganyaan, NISAR, Chandrayaan-4, Shukrayaan and the proposed Indian Space Station reflect the country’s growing capabilities and aspirations in space technology.
India is also extending assistance to several countries in areas such as space-based meteorology, communications and security. In the field of internet services, private-sector start-ups are increasingly establishing themselves alongside India’s public-sector enterprises.
India already has an operational constellation of communication satellites developed through its own efforts. These satellites support telecommunications, broadband and broadcasting services, while also facilitating social and public communication.
The country’s capabilities in this sector are steadily expanding. Furthermore, government policies are encouraging greater private-sector participation in space technology, accelerating the development of indigenous and self-reliant capabilities.
If Elon Musk’s Starlink fails to secure a licence because it cannot adequately address the Indian government’s national security concerns, it does not mean that India will be unable to provide satellite-based internet services. Even if the launch of indigenous satellite internet services is delayed slightly, SJM believes that India will eventually be able to offer services at considerably lower costs than Starlink while ensuring national security.
It is evident that Starlink’s internet subscription rates are likely to be significantly higher than the prevailing prices of mobile data and broadband services in India. However, if Starlink’s entry is restricted on national security grounds, SJM believes that such a decision would provide a significant impetus to the development of indigenous satellite-based internet technology.
This would also create opportunities to provide affordable internet connectivity to people living in remote and underserved regions of the country. Just as mobile data and broadband services are currently available at relatively low prices in cities and villages, self-reliant satellite-based internet services could eventually extend affordable connectivity to even the most inaccessible areas.
SJM Urges Government to Deny Starlink Licence
The Swadeshi Jagran Manch has urged the Central Government to deny Starlink permission to launch and operate its commercial satellite broadband services in India.
SJM firmly believes that rejecting Starlink’s application would also send a strong message to India’s international trade partners, particularly the United States. If trading partners can arbitrarily restrict Indian imports, including handicraft products, by imposing high tariffs under the pretext of national security, India too has every right to deny permission to foreign companies when genuine national security concerns arise.
The organisation maintains that India’s national security interests must take precedence over commercial considerations and that the country should prioritise the development of indigenous satellite-based internet technology.
