Hindu group urges India to block Starlink amid Musk-Ambani feud

Starlink has been seeking to launch in India, a market with over a billion internet subscribers, for four years. The company, along with rivals backed by Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel, is awaiting final regulatory clearances. India's communications ministry stated last week that security assessments were ongoing for all satellite ventures and described any suggestions of an unfair or discriminatory approval process as "baseless and misconceived."

SJM, the economic wing of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), which is ideologically linked to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, also connected its demand to potential US tariffs on Indian imports. Ashwani Mahajan, SJM's national co-convenor, stated that if the US imposes tariffs, India has the right to block Starlink based on its own national security concerns. Mahajan further argued that Starlink's technology could make it difficult for authorities to restrict internet services during security emergencies and ensure traffic passes through domestic infrastructure.

SJM has previously influenced Indian policy, notably advocating for rules to protect small traders from large US-owned e-commerce companies. SpaceX, Starlink's parent company, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.