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Swadeshi Jagran Manch asks Centre to block Starlink unless security concerns are met
The RSS-affiliated group's Ashwani Mahajan says Starlink's satellite laser links could route Indian internet traffic beyond the reach of lawful monitoring.
Key points
- SJM co-convenor Ashwani Mahajan wants Starlink's permission blocked if it does not meet security conditions.
- He says satellite-to-satellite laser links could carry Indian traffic through foreign infrastructure.
- Starlink's application is neither approved nor rejected, Mahajan noted.
The Swadeshi Jagran Manch, which is affiliated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, has asked the Centre to block Starlink’s permission to sell satellite broadband in India unless Elon Musk’s company addresses national security concerns.
National co-convenor Ashwani Mahajan said on Tuesday that India had every right to refuse on security grounds, and that doing so would also send a signal to trade partners such as the United States. He noted that Starlink’s licence application had not been approved, but had not been rejected either, and suggested the company might be unable or unwilling to meet specific regulatory requirements.
The security case
Mahajan’s main objection is technical. Starlink’s satellites pass data to one another by laser, which he argued could route Indian internet traffic through foreign infrastructure and make lawful monitoring harder. The government, he said, wants Indian traffic to pass through gateways on Indian soil.
He also argued that satellite internet could be used by hostile actors, smugglers and insurgent groups, and that it could get in the way of internet shutdowns that authorities sometimes impose to keep order.
Mahajan pointed to the Manch’s earlier campaign against Chinese companies Huawei and ZTE taking part in India’s 5G trials, saying Indian developers went on to build 5G themselves. Keeping Starlink out, he argued, could likewise help home-grown satellite internet, which could be offered more cheaply.
A widening row
The statement follows days of sharp exchanges between Musk and the government. Musk has accused “certain oligarchs” of blocking Starlink, called Mukesh Ambani “Prime Minister Ambani”, and at the weekend shared reports alleging links between Reliance-funded firms and BJP campaigns. Reliance has not publicly responded.
Mahajan called Musk’s remarks about Indian businesses and the government unfortunate. The government has said its authorisation process for satellite services is fair and non-discriminatory, and has called suggestions of selective treatment baseless and misconceived.