Swadeshi Jagran Manch urges India to deny Starlink license

The Swadeshi Jagran Manch (SJM), an RSS-affiliated organization, has submitted a memorandum to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging the Indian government to deny Elon Musk-owned Starlink permission to launch commercial satellite broadband services in the country.

Citing national security concerns, the SJM alleges that Starlink’s use of laser-based inter-satellite links could allow internet traffic to bypass domestic gateways. The group argues this technology might prevent the government from restricting services or monitoring data during security-related emergencies or law-and-order challenges.

SJM national co-convenor Ashwani Mahajan stated that the company has not committed to meeting regulatory requirements that allow the government to precisely restrict services at its behest. The organization further claimed that Musk has responded to security clarifications by making indirect allegations against Indian businesses and the government.