SECURITY BEFORE SATELLITE CONNECTIVITY: SWADESHI JAGRAN MANCH DEMANDS STARLINK EXCLUSION FROM INDIA

October 23, 2026

The Swadeshi Jagran Manch (SJM), an organisation affiliated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), has urged the Union government to deny Elon Musk-owned Starlink permission to launch commercial satellite broadband services in India, citing concerns over national security, regulatory compliance and the protection of domestic internet infrastructure.

The demand was conveyed in a memorandum submitted to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday, following a demonstration against Starlink at Teen Murti Chowk in New Delhi. The organisation argued that the satellite internet system raises questions about whether Indian authorities would be able to exercise effective oversight of data transmission and restrict services when required during security-related emergencies.

At the centre of the SJM’s objections is Starlink’s use of laser-based links that allow satellites to transmit data directly to one another. According to the organisation, this technology could enable internet traffic to bypass gateways within India and travel through foreign infrastructure, potentially complicating lawful monitoring and enforcement. The SJM maintained that the government must establish whether Starlink can meet the country’s regulatory conditions before granting it a commercial licence.

Ashwani Mahajan, national co-convenor of the SJM, said the government was examining the system to ensure that data could not circumvent Indian gateways during security emergencies. He also questioned whether Starlink had committed to precisely restricting its services at the government’s direction, suggesting that the company’s technology might not be capable of meeting this requirement.

The organisation further alleged that Elon Musk had responded to the government’s security-related questions by indirectly making allegations against Indian businesses and the government, rather than adequately addressing the concerns raised. Mahajan suggested that Musk’s statements could be an attempt to generate public pressure for securing the licence or could reflect frustration over the regulatory scrutiny. These assertions represent the SJM’s position in the ongoing debate over Starlink’s proposed entry into the Indian market.

The memorandum also highlighted concerns about the possible use of satellite internet by hostile actors, smugglers and insurgent groups to communicate outside conventional telecommunications networks. The SJM argued that internet services may need to be restricted in particular areas during terrorism-related incidents, riots, separatist activity, protests and other law-and-order emergencies. It maintained that authorities must retain the ability to enforce such restrictions effectively.

Defending India’s existing telecommunications infrastructure, the organisation said domestic mobile and broadband operators provide services at affordable rates and cooperate with security and investigative agencies. It called for Starlink’s proposed operations to be assessed in light of experiences involving satellite internet and security concerns in countries including Ukraine, Iran, Russia, China and Taiwan.

The SJM also argued that denying Starlink a licence would not prevent India from developing its own satellite-based internet services. Pointing to the country’s progress in space technology and satellite communications, it maintained that indigenous systems could eventually deliver connectivity to remote areas while meeting national security requirements. The organisation claimed that domestic alternatives could ultimately offer services at prices substantially lower than Starlink’s.

The demand also carried an economic and geopolitical argument. The SJM contended that India would be justified in withholding permission on security grounds, drawing a comparison with restrictions imposed by foreign countries on Indian imports, including handicraft products, through high tariffs justified on national-security grounds.

The Centre has been urged by the organisation to block Starlink’s commercial rollout unless its concerns are satisfactorily addressed. The memorandum places the proposed satellite broadband service at the intersection of technological innovation, national security, regulatory oversight and the development of domestic telecommunications capabilities. The SJM’s demand, however, is an appeal to the government; it does not itself establish that Starlink has been denied a licence or that the government has adopted the organisation’s position.