The RSS-affiliated Swadeshi Jagran Manch has asked the Indian government to block Elon Musk’s Starlink from launching commercial satellite broadband services in India, arguing that the technology would make internet shutdowns and security surveillance harder to enforce.
The demand comes at a pointed moment. Delhi is in the middle of large-scale protests against the Chief Election Commissioner, and authorities have already imposed internet curbs as part of crowd-control measures. SJM’s argument is that existing telecom operators can suspend or restrict internet services in specific areas when directed by the government. Starlink’s satellite architecture, which routes data between satellites via laser links before it reaches a ground station, could make that kind of localised shutdown difficult or impossible.
The timing also follows Musk’s public attack on Mukesh Ambani, accusing “certain oligarchs” of blocking Starlink to protect their market dominance. The government rejected the claim, saying its regulatory framework was fair and non-discriminatory. The Communications Ministry has clarified that Starlink, Reliance Jio and Bharti-backed Eutelsat OneWeb all hold licences but must clear security assessments before proceeding to spectrum assignment. All three are broadly at the same regulatory stage.
SJM drew a parallel with its earlier opposition to Huawei and ZTE during India’s 5G rollout, framing this as a repeat of the same national security argument. It also linked the issue to trade tensions, suggesting that blocking Starlink would send a message to the US about India’s willingness to act on security grounds, just as Washington has imposed tariffs on Indian exports.
The deeper question the episode raises is whether India’s regulatory conditions for satellite internet are genuinely about security compliance, or whether they function as a barrier that structurally favours incumbents.
(Source: The Indian Express)
