Starlink caution justified, says ISB professor, warns India of 'geopolitical vulnerability'
Washington's reach extended far beyond American firms and borders, warns Professor Prasanna Tantri
- Oct 8, 2026,
- Updated Oct 8, 2026 3:49 PM IST
India is right to insist on security safeguards for Starlink as it considers the risks of relying on foreign-controlled critical infrastructure, Prasanna Tantri, associate professor of finance at the Indian School of Business, said on Thursday.
Tantri was reacting to Elon Musk's allegation that Starlink was being blocked by "certain oligarchs" in India to protect their "monopolistic chokehold" on the country.
"To appreciate the Indian government's caution on Starlink, I strongly recommend Edward Fishman's New York Times bestseller, Chokepoints," Tantri said in a post on Thursday.
He said the book shows "how America turned its dominance in finance and technology into instruments of state policy'.
Tantri cites Huawei, ZTE restrictions
Tantri said private ownership does not necessarily insulate companies from state power, pointing to US restrictions on Huawei and ZTE.
"The restrictions on Huawei and ZTE illustrate how dependence on American technology can become a source of geopolitical vulnerability," he said.
The professor cited the Foreign Direct Product Rule, under which companies outside the US also needed American permission to supply Huawei with certain products made using US technology.
"Washington's reach extended far beyond American firms and borders," Tantri said. "Greater dependence on foreign-controlled critical infrastructure creates the risk that commercial access will eventually become conditional on political compliance."
"Economic interdependence can deliver prosperity. But in periods of geopolitical conflict, it can also constrain a country’s freedom to make its own choices. Short-term commercial gains must be weighed against that loss of autonomy," he added.
What the government said on Starlink
The Ministry of Communications responded to Musk's claim that Starlink was being blocked by oligarchs in India.
The ministry said India has a "fair and non-discriminatory authorisation framework" for all telecommunication services, including satellite communication services.
It said licences had been granted to three Global Mobile Personal Communication by Satellite services based on non-geosynchronous satellite orbit satellite communications.
Under the terms of the licences, each licensee must demonstrate compliance with security conditions, the ministry said. The security assessment is currently under way for all three licensees.
Once the process is completed for a licensed entity, it can proceed to the next step of seeking spectrum assignment, the ministry said.
"At present, all the three entities are at broadly the same regulatory stage," it said, adding that the suggestion that the framework or its application is unfair or discriminatory is "baseless and misconceived".
Musk had said in a post on Wednesday: "Unfortunately, we are being blocked by certain oligarchs in order to maintain their monopolistic chokehold on the Indian people. You can guess who they are …This is a crime against the people of India!"
India is right to insist on security safeguards for Starlink as it considers the risks of relying on foreign-controlled critical infrastructure, Prasanna Tantri, associate professor of finance at the Indian School of Business, said on Thursday.
Tantri was reacting to Elon Musk's allegation that Starlink was being blocked by "certain oligarchs" in India to protect their "monopolistic chokehold" on the country.
"To appreciate the Indian government's caution on Starlink, I strongly recommend Edward Fishman's New York Times bestseller, Chokepoints," Tantri said in a post on Thursday.
He said the book shows "how America turned its dominance in finance and technology into instruments of state policy'.
Tantri cites Huawei, ZTE restrictions
Tantri said private ownership does not necessarily insulate companies from state power, pointing to US restrictions on Huawei and ZTE.
"The restrictions on Huawei and ZTE illustrate how dependence on American technology can become a source of geopolitical vulnerability," he said.
The professor cited the Foreign Direct Product Rule, under which companies outside the US also needed American permission to supply Huawei with certain products made using US technology.
"Washington's reach extended far beyond American firms and borders," Tantri said. "Greater dependence on foreign-controlled critical infrastructure creates the risk that commercial access will eventually become conditional on political compliance."
"Economic interdependence can deliver prosperity. But in periods of geopolitical conflict, it can also constrain a country’s freedom to make its own choices. Short-term commercial gains must be weighed against that loss of autonomy," he added.
What the government said on Starlink
The Ministry of Communications responded to Musk's claim that Starlink was being blocked by oligarchs in India.
The ministry said India has a "fair and non-discriminatory authorisation framework" for all telecommunication services, including satellite communication services.
It said licences had been granted to three Global Mobile Personal Communication by Satellite services based on non-geosynchronous satellite orbit satellite communications.
Under the terms of the licences, each licensee must demonstrate compliance with security conditions, the ministry said. The security assessment is currently under way for all three licensees.
Once the process is completed for a licensed entity, it can proceed to the next step of seeking spectrum assignment, the ministry said.
"At present, all the three entities are at broadly the same regulatory stage," it said, adding that the suggestion that the framework or its application is unfair or discriminatory is "baseless and misconceived".
Musk had said in a post on Wednesday: "Unfortunately, we are being blocked by certain oligarchs in order to maintain their monopolistic chokehold on the Indian people. You can guess who they are …This is a crime against the people of India!"