RSS-linked group urges Modi government to block Starlink over security concerns

Amid Elon Musk’s tirade against industrialist Mukesh Ambani over delays in securing permission for his Starlink satellite internet project in India, the RSS-affiliated Swadeshi Jagran Manch (SJM) has urged the Narendra Modi government to block the service, citing national security and law-and-order concerns, including separatism, terrorism, riots and protests.

In a statement on Tuesday, SJM national co-convener Ashwani Mahajan argued that satellite internet technology could complicate government efforts to restrict online communications and conduct security-related surveillance, particularly when authorities seek to contain unrest or prevent the spread of rumours and inflammatory narratives.

The organisation contended that conventional telecom operators could suspend services in designated areas when directed by the government, whereas Starlink’s satellite architecture, which uses laser links to relay data between satellites, could pose additional challenges for monitoring and interception.

“A key regulatory condition is that Starlink must be able to precisely restrict its services at the government’s behest; however, Starlink has not committed to meet this requirement, or its technology may not permit it,” the SJM claimed.

The demand comes days after Musk accused unnamed business interests of obstructing Starlink’s entry into India to protect their monopolistic positions, subsequently asking on X whether Ambani was “the real boss of India”. The government rejected allegations of discriminatory treatment, maintaining that its regulatory framework was fair and non-discriminatory.

Starlink, Reliance Jio and Bharti-backed Eutelsat OneWeb have received licences, but all three must satisfy security requirements before spectrum assignment and commercial operations can proceed. The Ministry of Communications has said they remain broadly at the same regulatory stage, while Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia has clarified that security clearances fall within the Home Ministry’s remit.

The SJM also claimed that satellite terminals could be exploited by insurgents, smugglers and other hostile actors, while arguing that India should accelerate indigenous satellite internet capabilities to serve remote areas at lower costs and with stronger security safeguards.

Drawing a parallel with its earlier opposition to Chinese telecom equipment makers Huawei and ZTE, the organisation also linked its demand to trade tensions with Washington, arguing that blocking Starlink would demonstrate India’s right to respond to restrictions imposed on its exports on national-security grounds.