Nishikant Dubey hits back at Elon Musk over Starlink security concerns in India

BJP MP Nishikant Dubey, chairman of the parliamentary standing committee on communications and information technology, has publicly rebuked SpaceX chief Elon Musk over his attempts to launch Starlink in India, asserting that national security will not be compromised for commercial interests.

Dubey said on Sunday that India's Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Home Affairs and central investigative agencies have raised significant concerns regarding the satellite internet provider. His comments followed a social media post by Musk criticizing arguments against Starlink's entry, in which the billionaire alleged that domestic operators were using hyperbole to defend a market monopoly.

Writing on X, Dubey told Musk to focus first on providing affordable internet to impoverished citizens in the United States before levelling accusations at Indian policymakers. He added that India is a sovereign democracy that does not alter its security policies under external pressure or social media campaigns. Dubey noted that security warnings regarding satellite internet had previously been submitted to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India during Manmohan Singh's administration in 2013 and 2014.

What security concerns has India raised over Starlink?

Indian security agencies are evaluating the operational risks posed by low-Earth orbit satellite communications, including data routing and domestic surveillance oversight. Dubey stated that if financial considerations were the deciding factor, the government would have rolled out a red carpet for Starlink despite objections from defence officials.

The Ministry of Communications clarified in a statement issued on 8 October that all three companies holding satellite communication licences in India—Starlink, Reliance Jio and Sunil Bharti Mittal-backed Eutelsat OneWeb—are currently at the exact same regulatory stage. Each provider must clear security assessments from domestic intelligence agencies before receiving spectrum allocation.

How does Starlink compare with Reliance Jio and Eutelsat OneWeb?

The dispute comes as global satellite operators compete for position in India's emerging satellite broadband market. Starlink currently operates approximately 11,100 low-Earth orbit satellites at an altitude of 550 kilometres above Earth.

By contrast, Eutelsat OneWeb manages a fleet of over 630 satellites orbiting at roughly 1,200 kilometres. Mukesh Ambani's Reliance Jio is developing a planned constellation of 1,600 satellites positioned at 650 kilometres, alongside plans for 23 ground stations across India. Amazon's Kuiper project is also seeking regulatory approval for a constellation operating at an altitude of 630 kilometres.