Starlink India approval: Rajeev Chandrasekhar cites security concerns, asks Elon Musk to be patient

Rajeev Chandrasekhar, BJP Keralam president and former MoS for Electronics and Information Technology, on Friday urged Elon Musk to be patient over the delay in granting approval to Starlink, the billionaire's satellite internet service, to operate in India. Chandrasekhar said the government was prioritising security clearances and the development of capabilities to ensure safe and trusted satellite communication services before proceeding with spectrum allocation.

Responding to Musk's social media posts questioning why Starlink had not received permission to operate in India, Chandrasekhar said all three satellite communication (satcom) licensees — Starlink, Reliance Jio's satellite venture Jio Satcom and Bharti-backed Eutelsat OneWeb — were broadly at the same stage of the approval process.

The former Union minister of state for electronics and information technology said the companies needed to establish safety and trust through security verification before moving to the spectrum allocation stage.

Security risks

Chandrasekhar said satellite internet protocol (IP) services raised several security concerns, particularly in India, which has faced decades of terrorism and insurgency allegedly supported by hostile state actors in neighbouring countries.

Citing the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks and the recent Pahalgam attack, he said satellite communication had been a preferred mode of communication for terrorists. He also highlighted the additional challenges posed by satellite-based voice over internet protocol (VoIP) services and encryption.

“These are not insurmountable, but new capabilities and capacity have to be built to ensure safety and trust,” Chandrasekhar said in his post on X.

He acknowledged that addressing these concerns would require building the necessary technical and institutional capabilities, but maintained that security considerations could not be overlooked while introducing new technologies.

‘Patience is a necessity’

Despite defending the regulatory process, Chandrasekhar praised Starlink's technology, describing it as an impressive innovation that could represent a new era in mobility.

He said he had used Starlink and considered it an important technological development, but stressed that countries needed to evaluate their national interests before adopting new services.

“A country has to plan for itself and its interests before every new choice. That's what India is doing. Patience is unavoidable and in this case is a necessity,” he said.

Chandrasekhar also outlined three principles that, according to him, govern India's technology, telecom and internet sectors under Prime Minister Narendra Modi: openness, safety and trust, and accountability.

The framework calls for free and fair competition without monopolies or duopolies, secure and trusted infrastructure, networks and platforms, and legal accountability for all participants.

Government rejects Musk's allegation

The exchange followed Musk's allegations that domestic business interests were preventing Starlink from entering the Indian market.

The Union telecom ministry rejected the allegation on Thursday, stating that all satellite communication companies were subject to the same regulatory and security requirements.

Starlink's entry into India could expand internet connectivity in remote and underserved areas. However, the company must complete the applicable regulatory and security processes before commencing commercial operations in the country.