Influential Hindu group urges India to block Starlink amid Musk-Ambani feud
The Starlink logo is seen in front of the Indian flag in this illustration taken, June 21, 2023. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration
Read a summary of this article on FAST.
Get bite-sized news via a new
cards interface. Give it a try.
Click here to return to FAST
Tap here to return to FAST
FAST
BENGALURU, Oct 13 : An influential Hindu nationalist group close to India’s ruling party urged the government on Tuesday to block Elon Musk’s Starlink from launching satellite internet services in the country, citing national security concerns.
Starlink’s four-year wait to launch in India has come under renewed scrutiny after Musk last week accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government and billionaire Mukesh Ambani of stalling its entry to favour Ambani’s Reliance Jio.
India’s communications ministry said last week that security assessments were under way for Starlink and rival satellite ventures backed by Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel. It described suggestions the approval process was unfair or discriminatory as “baseless and misconceived”.
The call for Starlink’s ban came from Swadeshi Jagran Manch (SJM), the economic wing of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the Hindu nationalist organisation that is the ideological parent of Modi’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party.
Guess Word
Crack the word, one row at a time
Buzzword
Create words using the given letters
Mini Sudoku
Tiny puzzle, mighty brain teaser
Mini Crossword
Small grid, big challenge
Word Search
Spot as many words as you can
SJM also linked its demand to trade tensions with the US. If Washington imposes high tariffs on Indian imports “in the name of national security, then India is certainly within its rights to block Starlink based on its genuine national security concerns,” national co-convenor Ashwani Mahajan said in a statement.
Starlink’s technology could make it difficult for authorities to restrict internet services during security emergencies and ensure Indian internet traffic passes through domestic infrastructure, Mahajan added.
SJM has influenced Indian policy in recent years, notably pushing for rules to protect small traders from US-owned e-commerce firms Amazon and Walmart’s Flipkart.
SpaceX, Starlink’s parent company, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
MARKET WITH MORE THAN A BILLION INTERNET USERS
Starlink is seeking to launch in a country with more than a billion internet subscribers. Alongside Starlink, satellite ventures backed by Reliance Jio and Bharti are awaiting final clearances to begin services.
Musk has repeatedly taunted Ambani on X, questioning why Starlink still lacked a licence despite what he said were years of compliance with Indian requirements.
“Is Ambani the real boss of India?” he posted last week, as he accused the rival billionaire of stalling Starlink’s entry.
Source: Reuters
Sign up for our newsletters
Get the CNA app
Stay updated with notifications for breaking news and our best stories
Get WhatsApp alerts
Join our channel for the top reads for the day on your preferred chat app
Get bite-sized news via a new
cards interface. Give it a try.
Click here to return to FAST
Tap here to return to FAST
FAST
