BJP MP Nishikant Dubey, chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Communications and Information Technology, on Sunday hit back at Elon Musk over the proposed launch of Starlink’s satellite internet services in India, saying the country would not change its security policy under pressure from social media or commercial interests.
In a post on X, Dubey said his parliamentary committee had examined the challenges faced by Indian security agencies in connection with Starlink. He cited concerns raised by the Ministries of Defence and Home Affairs, as well as investigative agencies, over potential security risks associated with the satellite internet service.
“India is a healthy democratic, sovereign nation; it does not change its security policy under pressure or social media,” Dubey said in his response to Musk.
Dubey asks Musk to provide affordable internet in US
Taking a swipe at the billionaire entrepreneur, Dubey said Musk should first provide affordable internet connections to poor people in the United States before questioning India’s approach to Starlink.
He also referred to the previous Congress-led government, saying that the Manmohan Singh government had informed the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) about similar threats in 2013-14.
Dubey further argued that India would not welcome a foreign company by overlooking objections raised by security agencies, adding that financial considerations would not determine the country’s security policy.
Musk blames ‘certain oligarchs’ in India for hampering rollout of Starlink
Musk, in his statement, alleged that ‘certain oligarchs’ were trying to protect their position in India’s telecom market by holding back Starlink entry. However, he did not specifically mention or identify the businesses or individuals he was referring to.
After this statement, the Communications Ministry rejected the suggestion that Starlink was being singled out.
As per the government, Starlink, OneWeb, and Jio Satellite Communications are all currently undergoing security assessments under the same broad regulatory framework. Further, the Ministry said that the claim that the process was discriminatory was therefore unfounded.
This also means that Starlink’s delay is not happening; according to the government, there is a separate hurdle that was created specifically for Musk’s company. Also, other companies are also waiting for the necessary clearances before they can begin commercial services.
What’s the government’s position in simple terms?
- India states the same system is applicable for satellite operators.
- Security checks are still underway for the three major players.
- A licence does not necessarily imply that a company can go into commercial services immediately.
- Other regulatory issues must also be resolved, such as spectrum allocation.
- The government has said that it has treated all companies equally when it comes to Starlink.
Starlink India Operations: Final approval awaited
Starlink is currently awaiting the Indian government’s security clearance and approval for foreign direct investment (FDI) before it can begin commercial services in the country. The company has already received clearances from IN-SPACe and obtained the Global Mobile Personal Communication by Satellite (GMPCS) licence.
“We are standing ready to serve India once India is ready. We’re ready to work with the government. We are ready to work with operators and with industry,” Dreyer said.
She added that the company is hopeful of receiving the final approvals soon.
“Hopefully, next time I address the Congress, the government’s work will be complete, and Starlink will be authorised and ready,” she said. ZeeBiz
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