Satellite Network A 'Geopolitical Control Tool': Think Tank Seeks Starlink Curbs
13 Oct 2026 2:54 PM IST13 Oct 2026 2:54 PM IST
Kutniti Foundation Warns Of US Strategic Leverage, Calls For Indigenous Satellite Constellation By 2029
The Kutniti Foundation has urged India to impose stringent security and operational conditions on foreign satellite operators such as Elon Musk’s Starlink, warning of risks to national security, technological sovereignty and the domestic space industry.
An Indian policy group has urged the government to impose stringent, "non-negotiable" conditions on foreign satellite operators, arguing that SpaceX's Starlink could give the United States strategic leverage over communications infrastructure and undermine India's technological sovereignty.
The Kutniti Foundation, in a report originally published in November 2024 and updated in October 2026, describes Starlink as "(very candidly) a technology of geopolitical control", contending that satellite broadband is no longer simply a commercial service but an increasingly important instrument of military power, intelligence gathering and geopolitical influence.
The report calls for India to retain control over domestic data flows, network access and emergency shutdowns, while accelerating development of an indigenous satellite constellation.
Starlink, owned by the world's richest man Elon Musk's SpaceX, uses satellites in low Earth orbit to provide internet access, particularly in remote areas where mobile networks and broadband cables are difficult or expensive to install. It has been trying to enter India since 2021 and secured key licences in June 2025 and authorisation from space regulator IN-SAPCe the following month. It, however, hasn't been able to launch services pending final security clearances and spectrum allocation.
Outstanding issues include security clearances, foreign-investment approval and the framework for allocating spectrum. Officials are also examining whether inter-satellite links could allow Indian traffic to bypass domestic gateways.
Frustrated at the delay, Musk last week alleged that "oligarchs" were blocking Starlink's entry into India - an allegation the Ministry of Communications rejected as baseless.
The ministry said three operators - Starlink, Eutelsat OneWeb and Jio Satellite Communications - were at broadly the same stage of the approval process, with all three awaiting security clearances and spectrum allocation before they can launch commercial services.
Kutniti points to SpaceX's contracts with the US defence and intelligence establishments as evidence that satellite communications have strategic as well as commercial applications. It cites a USD 70 million Pentagon task order for Starshield services and a reported classified contract with the National Reconnaissance Office to develop a network of reconnaissance satellites.
The report argues that the combination of satellite infrastructure, ground gateways and foreign legal jurisdiction creates potential vulnerabilities for countries dependent on the service. It raises concerns about whether Indian communications could be exposed to foreign intelligence collection and whether New Delhi would have sufficient control over network operations during a security crisis.
The report cites Ukraine's experience as an example of how dependence on privately operated satellite communications can affect military operations.
Starlink became a critical communications service following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, supporting civilian connectivity and military communications. But disputes over the geographical availability and military use of the network also highlighted the influence an operator can exercise over access.
In March 2025, Musk wrote: "My Starlink system is the backbone of the Ukrainian army. Their entire front line would collapse if I turned it off."
The report also points to regulatory disputes in Brazil, South Africa, Namibia and Taiwan. In Brazil, Starlink initially resisted an order to block access to the social-media platform X before complying after its accounts were frozen.
The report recommends that any foreign low-Earth-orbit operator be required to route all Indian traffic through gateways in India, with no bypass via inter-satellite links. They should also register terminals and let India hold its own auditable on/off capability.
Lawful interception and data localisation under Indian law alone, shielded from the US CLOUD Act and FISA Section 702, should be a precondition, it said, adding operators must be contractually barred from withdrawing service unilaterally during a declared emergency, with penalties held in escrow.
The report cites Taiwan as a precedent for requiring foreign satellite operators to meet domestic ownership and security conditions. It says Taiwan's July 2026 legislative changes allow case-by-case exemptions from foreign-ownership limits, subject to national-security considerations and conditions including domestic infrastructure.
Kutniti argues that India, with its large telecommunications market and established space programme, has substantial bargaining power.
Kutniti warns that a dominant global satellite operator could weaken investment in India's private space sector by competing across satellite communications, Earth observation and launch services.
The report argues that if investors favour an established international provider with a large constellation and frequent launch capability, Indian start-ups could struggle to secure funding for their own satellites and services. Reduced demand for domestic payloads could then weaken the broader ecosystem, including launch vehicles and related manufacturing.
The foundation says roughly USD 1 billion has already been invested in India's emerging space industry across start-ups, public-sector entities and large companies. It urges the government to build an indigenous mega-constellation before 2029, arguing that domestic infrastructure would support national security, technological independence and export opportunities.
The report also warns that satellite-to-mobile, or direct-to-cell, services could intensify competition for Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel and state-run BSNL as satellite networks expand beyond traditional broadband.
( Source : PTI )
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