India Won’t Change Security Policy Under Pressure: Nishikant Dubey Hits Back At Musk Over Starlink

BJP MP Nishikant Dubey on Sunday hit back at SpaceX CEO Elon Musk amid the debate over Starlink’s proposed entry into India, asserting that the country would not change its security policy under commercial or social media pressure.

In a post on X, Dubey said a parliamentary committee had examined concerns raised by security agencies over Starlink. He cited the Ministry of Defence, the Ministry of Home Affairs and investigative agencies, alleging that the risks associated with the technology had raised concerns.

Dubey also said the Manmohan Singh government had flagged such threats to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) in 2013-14.

“India is a healthy democratic, sovereign nation; it does not change its security policy under pressure or social media,” Dubey wrote, adding that if commercial interests were the priority, the government could have welcomed Starlink despite objections from security agencies.

MUSK QUESTIONS OPPOSITION TO STARLINK

Dubey’s remarks came after Musk renewed his push for Starlink’s commercial launch in India, arguing that greater competition would give consumers more choices.

The SpaceX chief also criticised arguments against Starlink’s entry, calling them “absurd hypocrisy and hyperbole” and accusing supporters of existing players of acting as internet shills.

Musk argued that critics could not simultaneously claim Starlink would struggle to compete with the low prices offered by Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani’s telecom business and portray the satellite internet provider as an overwhelming competitor. He said Starlink would need to make its pricing affordable, adding that if its services were too expensive, consumers would not buy them.

The dispute comes amid scrutiny of the regulatory process for satellite communication services in India, where Starlink is seeking to enter the market.

CENTRE SAYS REGULATORY FRAMEWORK IS FAIR

The Ministry of Communications has maintained that India’s authorisation framework for satellite communication services is fair and non-discriminatory.

In a statement issued on October 8, the ministry said licences had been granted to three providers offering global mobile personal communication services through non-geostationary satellite systems. Security assessments for all three licensees are underway.

The ministry said each licensed entity could seek spectrum assignment after completing the required security process, adding that all three providers were at broadly the same regulatory stage. It rejected allegations that the framework or its implementation was unfair or discriminatory.

With inputs from ANI