Swadeshi Jagran Manch (SJM), the economic wing of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), urged the Indian government on October 13 to block Elon Musk’s Starlink from launching satellite internet services in India. SJM cited concerns that Starlink’s technology could prevent authorities from restricting internet access during emergencies and ensuring Indian internet traffic remains on domestic infrastructure, according to medianama.com.
Starlink’s licence requires it to comply with conditions that include not routing Indian traffic through inter-satellite links if an Indian gateway fails, and to keep Indian user data secure. However, regulators can only inspect ground gateways and cannot independently verify what happens in orbit. A report by the Takshashila Institution in April highlighted that ground monitoring cannot reliably detect if traffic passes through prohibited inter-satellite links, raising doubts about enforceability of these licence terms, medianama.com said.
The concerns raised by SJM reflect broader issues with foreign satellite internet services, which pose risks of denying connectivity when India needs it or maintaining services when India wants them shut down. Starlink’s advanced technology and Elon Musk’s influence in the US government amplify these risks. The licence’s reliance on written undertakings for data security further complicates verification, according to the Takshashila Institution’s report cited by medianama.com.
India’s regulators currently lack the capability to independently verify Starlink’s compliance with licence conditions beyond ground-based inspections. This limitation leaves open questions about whether Starlink can fully meet India’s regulatory requirements for satellite internet services, as detailed in the Takshashila Institution’s April report referenced by medianama.com.