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Former Army Chief Warns Against Reliance on Starlink
Starlink is a company that wants to provide internet in India using satellites.
Former Army chief Ved Malik said India should not depend on a telecom system owned by another country.
He remembered how US sanctions affected access to some defence supplies during the Kargil War.
Other security experts also raised concerns about who controls Starlink’s technology and data.
They said dependence on foreign systems could make India vulnerable.
One expert said companies may want to make money rather than provide internet at very low prices.
Elon Musk says Starlink should be allowed into India, and he has criticised delays.
India is also working on its own space capabilities.
Former Army chief Ved Malik said he would not want India to depend on a foreign-owned telecom system.
Malik cited US defence sanctions during the 1999 Kargil War and recent US tariffs and other restrictions.
Starlink owner Elon Musk is seeking a licence to provide satellite internet in India and has criticised delays.
Sushant Sareen questioned whether Starlink’s commercial interests and control of its technology would align with India’s interests.
Former security official SL Narasimhan warned that reliance on foreign technology could create vulnerabilities, including risks to data.
- Who
- Former Army chief Ved Malik, Starlink owner Elon Musk, and security experts Sushant Sareen and SL Narasimhan.
- What
- Malik and other experts raised concerns about India relying on Starlink or other foreign-owned telecom technology.
- Where
- India.
- When
- Malik made the cited statement on October 11, 2026; the article also refers to US sanctions imposed in May 1998 and the Kargil War in 1999.
- Why
- They cited national security, foreign control of technology, possible data risks, and the vulnerability created by dependence on foreign systems.
Security and sovereignty concerns
Arguments for Starlink’s entry
Foreign ownership and dependence
Security and sovereignty concerns
Malik and Narasimhan warned that relying on foreign-owned telecom technology could create national-security vulnerabilities.
Arguments for Starlink’s entry
Musk is seeking a licence for Starlink to operate in India and has criticised the delay; the article notes that he presents its entry as helping connect people in rural India.
Technology and data control
Security and sovereignty concerns
Sareen questioned whether a company controlling its technology would act in India’s interests, while Narasimhan warned about possible data risks without interception or localisation measures.
Arguments for Starlink’s entry
The article says Starlink offers satellite-based internet, but does not include a response from the company on these specific concerns.
Commercial purpose
Security and sovereignty concerns
Sareen argued that Starlink ultimately wants to make money and challenged claims that it would serve remote communities at low prices.
Arguments for Starlink’s entry
Sareen said he supports companies investing in India and bringing technology, while Musk has argued that Starlink could help connect rural residents.
Key facts
- Ved Malik’s Army chief tenure
- October 1997 to September 2000
- Kargil War
- Fought in 1999 between India and Pakistan
- US sanctions
- Imposed on India in May 1998 after its nuclear tests at Pokhran
- Starlink
- SpaceX’s satellite-based internet service
- Starlink’s India status
- Musk is seeking a licence for the service to operate in India
- Concerns raised
- Foreign control of technology, dependence, and potential data risks
- Domestic alternatives
- Narasimhan pointed to India’s efforts to develop its own space initiatives
Quotes
Lt Gen (retd) SL Narasimhan
Former member of the National Security Advisory Board
“Starlink might be a great technology, but the question is who is going to be controlling the technology? Clearly, it's the company. And if the company is controlling the technology, this company is not beholden to India. It does not have Indian interests at heart.”
businesstoday.in
“Unless there is a data interception or a data localisation that is being talked about, unless that is incorporated into this, then it is going to be a problem for us at a future date.”
businesstoday.in
Sources
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