CPI(M) Opposes Starlink Deal, Raises National Security Concerns

New Delhi: The Communist Party of India (Marxist) has strongly opposed the reported tie-up between Jio, Airtel, and Elon Musk’s Starlink to provide high-speed satellite-based internet services in the country. In a statement, the CPI(M) Polit Bureau raised serious concerns over the legality of the spectrum allocation and the potential threat to national security.
The party pointed out that the Supreme Court, in its landmark judgment on the 2G spectrum case, had ruled that spectrum is a scarce resource that must be allocated transparently through an open auction. Any private deal to allocate spectrum outside this framework, would be a violation of Indian law. The party stated that Jio, Airtel, and Starlink are forming a cartel to dominate the satellite spectrum market, which will negatively impact millions of telecom users in the country.
Beyond legal concerns, the CPI(M) emphasized that satellite spectrum should be reserved for strategic purposes, such as defence and ISRO operations. The party warned that allowing private entities to control orbital slots would have serious repercussions, as these satellites would be used to map India’s natural resources, gather commercially valuable data on weather and agriculture, and even collect sensitive military information. With ISRO and other Indian agencies capable of handling such operations, the CPI(M.) questioned the need to involve a foreign company in this highly strategic sector.
The statement also drew parallels with Ukraine’s experience, where the US reportedly pressured the country into negotiations with Russia by threatening to cut off Starlink services to its military. The CPI(M.) cautioned that allowing a US-based company to control satellite-based communications in India would leave the country vulnerable to similar geopolitical blackmail. The party warned that such a deal would not only compromise India’s national security but also risk creating a space monopoly that undermines the country’s sovereignty.
The CPI(M) urged the government to reconsider the deal and ensure that India’s satellite spectrum and orbital slots remain under strict national control, free from foreign dominance.