SJM urges India to deny Starlink licence over security concerns

Swadeshi Jagran Manch has urged India’s government to deny Starlink permission to launch commercial satellite broadband services, citing concerns about national security, data routing and the company’s ability to comply with service restrictions. The organisation made its appeal in a memorandum to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Swadeshi Jagran Manch, also known as SJM, said Starlink’s use of laser links to transmit data between satellites could allow Indian internet traffic to bypass domestic gateways before reaching a ground station. It said the government was examining whether the system could meet requirements to keep traffic within India during security-related emergencies. SJM also argued that Starlink must be able to precisely restrict service at the government’s direction, including during law-and-order emergencies. The memorandum said the company had not committed to meeting that condition, or that its technology might not permit it. These concerns are SJM’s claims; the material does not establish independently whether Starlink can meet the requirements. The group said routing traffic through foreign infrastructure could make lawful monitoring and enforcement more...