“A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing”?

Atanu Chakravarty

In a surprising turn of events, India’s two largest telecom companies, Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel, have finally partnered with Elon Musk’s SpaceX to provide satellite-based internet services to Indian consumers via Starlink’s technology. This development is particularly striking given that just a year ago, these very telecom giants viewed Starlink as a formidable competitor and strongly opposed its entry into the Indian market.

It is noteworthy that this rapid shift in stance comes soon after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s state visit to the United States, where he held closed-door meetings with Donald Trump and Elon Musk. The timing of this development has raised numerous questions, debates, and concerns.

Despite being fierce competitors in the domestic market, Mukesh Ambani of Jio and Sunil Mittal of Airtel were staunch opponents of SpaceX’s entry into India. They argued that allowing satellite internet services like Starlink would create an unfair competitive landscape for traditional telecom players.

At the India Mobile Congress 2024, in the presence of Prime Minister Modi, Sunil Mittal publicly supported Mukesh Ambani’s stance, asserting that satellite-based companies should be subject to the same licensing fees and spectrum charges as traditional telecom firms. They emphasised that foreign satellite service providers must operate under the same regulatory framework as domestic telecom operators to ensure fair competition.
However, beyond the licensing and competition issues, serious concerns regarding national security and sovereignty have now come to the forefront.

When news broke last year about Starlink’s plans to enter the Indian market, the Indian think tank Kootneeti Foundation had warned the central government that Starlink’s arrival could be akin to “a wolf entering in sheep’s clothing.” They suggested that under the guise of a ‘harmless’ private company, Starlink could pose a serious risk by exposing India’s sensitive data to foreign powers and imposing American influence on Indian affairs.

This warning came at a time when Donald Trump had publicly stated that if he returns to power, he would offer Elon Musk a key position in his administration. Today, Musk’s immense influence and growing political power are evident worldwide.

Unlike conventional mobile telecom providers that rely on underground optical fiber cables and terrestrial towers, Starlink will function through a network of thousands of satellites orbiting the Earth in low Earth orbit (LEO). As of January 2024, SpaceX has already deployed nearly 7,000 satellites, with Musk indicating plans for further technological enhancements.

A major national security risk stems from the fact that Starlink’s operations and control will remain entirely outside India’s geographical borders—under direct US jurisdiction. This means India will have no control or oversight over how Starlink operates within its territory.

Unlike traditional internet services, Starlink’s satellite internet network transcends geographical boundaries and operates without any local oversight. This could result in direct communication between Indian users and American authorities, bypassing Indian regulatory frameworks.

The Kootneeti Foundation has further raised alarms about Elon Musk’s deep ties with the US Department of Defense and intelligence agencies, which could have grave implications for India’s internal security.

Since Starlink’s satellites and operations will be controlled from outside India, there is a high probability that Indian user data could be accessed directly by US authorities. The Kootneeti Foundation’s report cites examples from Brazil, Iran, and Ukraine, where Starlink allegedly exploited sensitive national data.

Moreover, Musk has close business ties with Palantir Technologies, an American data analytics company with deep connections to US intelligence agencies. These advanced technologies are increasingly being used for geo-political control, and the US government is expected to leverage Starlink to expand its strategic influence worldwide.

This relationship between Musk, the US government, and powerful intelligence networks has been described by Kootneeti Foundation as an emerging “Intel-Industrial-Military Complex”, reinforcing America’s digital and strategic dominance.

Canada was the first country to expel Starlink from its territory, followed by Mexico shutting its doors to the satellite internet service. South Africa has also blocked Starlink’s entry, further limiting its global reach.

In Latin America, a major shake-up occurred when Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim severed ties with Elon Musk’s Starlink, leading to a significant realignment in the region’s telecommunications industry. Slim has announced plans to forge new business relationships with major telecom companies in China and Europe, dealing a severe financial blow to Musk.

Additionally, this move has resulted in a significant loss of influence for the US in Latin America, as other global telecom giants have stepped in to fill the void left by Starlink. It appears that after facing repeated rejections from multiple nations, Musk set his sights on India’s vast market—and under pressure from Trump, Modi quickly granted Starlink the necessary approvals.

 It is to be noted that former Indian government secretary E A S Sharma has raised serious concerns about Starlink’s entry into India. In December 2024 and February 2025, he wrote multiple letters to the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), warning of the grave risks to India’s national security and sovereignty if Starlink were allowed to operate in the country.

He pointed out that Starlink had requested relaxations on specific security-related regulations, which, if granted, could expose India to external surveillance and influence. Given Starlink’s deep ties with the US Department of Defense and intelligence agencies, Sharma cautioned that allowing Starlink to acquire spectrum licences would give the US a strategic military advantage over India—a move that could severely undermine India’s national interests.

Recently, Trump issued a warning to Ukrainian President Zelensky, threatening to shut down Ukraine’s Starlink services unless Ukraine handed over its natural resources to the US and agreed to a ceasefire with Russia on American terms. Since Ukraine’s defence infrastructure is heavily dependent on Starlink’s satellite internet, such a shutdown would cripple its military operations.

Sharma highlighted the danger of handing over critical strategic satellite spectrum and orbital resources to an American corporation, stating that this would grant the US an unparalleled level of dominance over India’s airspace, posing a severe threat to national security and sovereignty.

Beyond defence concerns, Starlink’s satellites would also gain access to India’s crucial agricultural data, including information on food grain reserves, crop yields, and extensive national resource databases.

Following the 2G spectrum scandal, the Indian Supreme Court had warned the central government that spectrum is a rare national resource, and any allocation to private companies must adhere to strict transparency standards through public auctions.

Sharma has strongly opposed the Jio-Airtel-Starlink alliance, describing it as a dangerous, regressive cartel that could result in a corruption scandal far larger than the 2G scam, potentially the biggest in India’s history.

There are reports that the Indian government has instructed Starlink to set up a control centre within India. Allegedly, this is being done under the pretext of maintaining law and order in sensitive areas.

The government has reportedly imposed certain security conditions, one of which grants administrative authorities the power to monitor and intercept telephone communications whenever deemed necessary. However, detailed information on these conditions is yet to be disclosed.

NarendraModi, who has cloaked himself in ultra-nationalism and hardline Hindutva, has now bowed down before another authoritarian figure—Donald Trump—by opening India’s doors to Elon Musk’s aggressive expansionist ambitions.

The emerging Starlink-Jio-Airtel cartel threatens to monopolise India’s entire telecom sector, leaving little room for competition or independent oversight.

With India’s telecommunications and national security at stake, there is an urgent need for collective resistance against this growing corporate-political power grab.

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Frontier
Vol 57, No. 42, Apr 13 - 19, 2025