NEW DELHI: BJP MP Nishikant Dubey on Sunday hit back at SpaceX CEO Elon Musk amid the dispute over Starlink’s entry into India, alleging that the satellite internet service poses challenges to the country’s security agencies and asserting that India would not change its security policy under pressure.In a post on X, Dubey, chairman of a parliamentary committee, said the panel had examined the challenges faced by country’s security agencies in connection with Starlink.“The ministry of defence, the ministry of home affairs, and our investigation agencies are being affected by the dangerous games of these threats,” Dubey wrote.He also claimed that the government led by former prime minister Manmohan Singh had alerted the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) to such threats in 2013-14.Urging Musk to focus on making internet services affordable in the United States before criticising India, Dubey said the country was a sovereign democracy and would not alter its security policy in response to pressure or social media posts.“First, provide connections to the poor in your own country, America, at affordable rates, and then level accusations—India is a healthy democratic, sovereign nation; it does not change its security policy under pressure or social media,” he said.Dubey added that if financial considerations alone determined the government’s decisions, it would have welcomed Starlink despite objections from security agencies.“If our policy were driven by money, we would have rolled out the red carpet welcome for you despite opposition from the security agencies,” he wrote.
Musk’s allegations over Starlink’s India entry
Dubey’s remarks came after Musk argued that Starlink’s entry would increase competition and give Indian consumers more choices.SpaceX chief criticised what he described as arguments by supporters of Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani against the satellite internet service.“The reality is that competition would greatly benefit the average citizen in India by giving them more choices, as it always does. Ambani’s profits will be lower, but he is not going out of business,” Musk wrote.The exchange follows Musk’s earlier allegations that influential business groups were obstructing Starlink’s entry to protect their market positions. He had also addressed Ambani as “Prime Minister Ambani” and accused him of seeking to preserve a monopoly.The government has rejected the suggestion that Starlink is being singled out, saying commercial operations depend on regulatory and security clearances.
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At the India Mobile Congress 2026 in New Delhi, Union communications minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said India would not allow a monopoly in any sector.Starlink, Reliance Jio Satcom and Bharti Airtel-backed Eutelsat OneWeb have received licences, but the government has said security clearances remain pending for the operators. The satellite spectrum pricing framework is also being finalised.