Starlink controversy, government of India’s refusal and opposition stand

By Our Correspondent

Agartala, October 10, 2026

The government of India’s refusal to grant license to world’s first trillionaire Elon Musk’s ‘Starlink’ satellite services has provoked the globally richest man to attribute motives beyond legitimate and fair business matters . In his frustration over the rejection of license to his mega company Musk has first lashed out at ‘Oligarchs’ in the Indian political establishment and then yaken a jibe at Mukesh Ambani for standing in the way of his licensing by the government of India.

But wherein lies the truth behind the government of India’s stand and Musk’s abusive rant ? Elon Musk’s ‘Starlink’ is already in a contract with the Pentagon, the defense arm of the USA government and has to abide by their diktats including the peremptory whips issued by President Trump. True that Musk’s satellite service giant ‘Starlink’ is already licensed by as many as 165 countries including the embattled Ukraine , providing highly sensitive and potent data about Russian defense to the country . At the time of obtaining Ukrainian license Elon Musk had granted the facility of free satellite based internet services to the people but has been charging heavily the government. But what happened last year was dangerous in that, upon Ukrainian president Voldomir Zelenski’s dithering over allowing US access to the rich stock of rare earth minerals in his cointry, Trump had made Elon Musk suspend the ‘Starlink’ services, bringing Ukraine to its knees. It was only after Zelensky retraced his steps to placate Trump that the services were resumed. What is more significant is that once licensing is granted the host country becomes unable to regulate the satellite based internet services whose key is held by Musk and, by implication, the government of USA.

Another major problem is that ‘Starlink’ can easily make available internet data of a country even to its worst enemies at a price at any time of its choice even if it poses a major threat to the security and defense of the host country. Once ‘Starlink’ starts operating Indian data on any conceivable matter including defene , nuclear and space affairs may reach the mortal enemies like Pakistan and China any time at a price or as a barter for US interests. It was only last year that a ‘Starlink’ terminal had been discovered by Indian security forces in the embattled hilly areas of Manipur-apparently the Kuki militants had been using the services . Similar was a case in the thickly wooded areas in Myanmar bordering India in the northeast. Apart from these, special ‘Starlink’ service downloading devices had been discovered in a seized smuggling boat of Pakistan near the Gujrat coast and also in seas near the Andaman Nicobar Islands. Naturally, the government of India and prime minister Modi , despite his fine personal equations with Musk, are reluctant to license ‘Starlink’ functioning within Indian sky limit. Already Ambani-owned Jio , Airtel, Vodafone and even BSNL continue to provide internet services to close to a hundred crores of people in India. The Ambani owned Jio is working on a grand plan to have at least 1600 satellites and 23 ground stations across India for providing satellite based internet services and , as a VVIP technocrat asserted, there is no need for handing over our skies and security establishment as hostage to Elon Musk’s ‘Starlink’ or inter alia to US’s Pentagon. The lone catch point in the whole controversy , however,is that the quality of satellite internet service provided by ‘Starlink’ is extraordinarily high and any other company will take years to emulate this, let alone improve.

But the stand of the Indian opposition is positively bizarre on this sensitive issue as Rahul Gandhi in his ‘X’ post has already welcomed Elon Musk in India. “Welcome to India , Elon. Wait till you discover the other guy” the Gandhi scion has said cryptically endorsing Musk’s charge on Oligarchy and Mukesh Ambani’s so-called choke-hold and taking a dig at unnamed Gautam Adani. The reason for this is not far to seek. But one recalls how intellectual Jairam Ramesh and TV anchor-turned-spokesperson Supriya Shinate had opposed ‘Starlink’s entry into India in social media posts towards the end of last year. The weather cocks are however eminently adaptable entities in political matters , always and everywhere to suit expedient agenda.

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