Swadeshi Jagran Manch Calls for Ban on Elon Musk’s Starlink Over National-Security Concerns

The Swadeshi Jagran Manch (SJM), the economic wing of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), has urged the Indian government to deny Elon Musk’s SpaceX-owned Starlink permission to launch commercial satellite-broadband services. SJM argues that Starlink’s laser-based inter-satellite links could let Indian internet traffic bypass domestic gateways, undermining lawful monitoring and emergency shutdowns. The group also says the technology may prevent the government from restricting service in specific areas when required for security.

CNN-News18RSS body demands ban on India entry of Elon Musk's Starlink, cites national security risks Hindustan TimesThe Indian Express

SJM, an offshoot of the RSS, has previously opposed foreign telecom equipment providers such as China’s Huawei and ZTE on security grounds. Its current demand comes amid recent internet restrictions in Delhi aimed at curbing protests against the Chief Election Commissioner. The Ministry of Communications notes that Starlink, Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel-backed OneWeb have all received licences but must still satisfy security clearances before spectrum allocation and commercial operation.

The Indian Express

The Union government says India’s regulatory framework for satellite-communication services is “fair and non-discriminatory,” rejecting Musk’s claim of oligarchic obstruction. Officials note that Starlink, Jio and OneWeb are at a comparable stage of security review and that any licence will be conditioned on compliance with Indian data-routing and service-restriction requirements. The Ministry of Communications emphasized that routing traffic through domestic gateways and enforcing area-specific shutdowns is a standard condition for all satellite operators.

The Indian Express

SJM frames the issue as a test of India’s sovereign control over critical communications infrastructure. The group suggests that blocking Starlink would signal to trade partners, including the United States, that India can reciprocate if foreign governments invoke national-security justifications to restrict Indian exports. SJM also claims that a delay in Starlink’s entry would allow indigenous satellite-internet projects to expand, potentially offering services at lower cost while preserving security oversight.

CNN-News18The Indian ExpressRSS body demands ban on India entry of Elon Musk's Starlink, cites national security risks Hindustan Times

A clear divergence exists between SJM’s assessment—asserting that Starlink’s architecture inherently evades domestic monitoring—and the government’s position that the regulatory process can address such technical challenges. Publicly available technical evaluations of Starlink’s ability to comply with Indian gateway-routing and service-restriction mandates are absent, leaving a gap in independent verification of either claim.

CNN-News18

• “Government wants Indian traffic routed through gateways within India,” — Convenor Ashwani Mahajan

Hindustan Times