Former G20 Sherpa and NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant has defended India’s right to safeguard its national security interests amid the controversy surrounding SpaceX’s Starlink satellite communication services, arguing that the country should be entitled to the same sovereign protections exercised by the United States.
In a post on X on Saturday, Kant said India remained open to innovation, investment and fair competition but would not compromise its national interests or allow global corporations to dictate its policies.
“If the United States can legitimately protect its national security, why should India be denied the same sovereign right?” he asked, arguing that measures regarded as national security safeguards in America should not automatically be portrayed as protectionism when applied by India.
Kant was responding to the latest remarks by Elon Musk, the head of SpaceX and Tesla, who took a swipe at industrialist Mukesh Ambani over Starlink’s entry into the Indian market. Musk’s post included the phrase “Dear Prime Minister Ambani”.
Describing the remark as being in “extremely poor taste”, Kant said the suggestion that India was controlled by a single industrialist was both absurd and disrespectful.
“India is a lively, vibrant democracy with a transparent economy and strong institutions,” he said.
Kant also pointed to US trade and regulatory policies to argue that Washington itself applies substantial protections in the name of economic and national security. He cited 100 per cent tariffs on electric vehicles, which effectively keep Chinese manufacturers such as BYD out of the US passenger car market, and restrictions on telecommunications equipment on national security grounds.
He further referred to a proposal by the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to bar testing laboratories in several countries from certifying electronic devices for the American market.
The controversy follows Musk’s allegations that Starlink’s satellite communication services are being blocked in India. The government has rejected suggestions of discriminatory treatment, maintaining that compliance with security requirements is mandatory for every satellite communication licence holder.
Although Starlink has secured a licence to provide satellite communication services in India, it still requires security-related clearances and other approvals before it can launch commercial operations.
The government has described claims that Starlink is facing a discriminatory regulatory regime as “baseless and misconceived”, reiterating that security compliance is a prerequisite for all operators in the sector.
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