Actor-turned-politician and Rajya Sabha MP Kamal Haasan has criticised Elon Musk’s questioning of the delay in granting a licence to his satellite internet company Starlink in India, asserting that national policy must be guided by the country’s interests and security requirements rather than the demands of billionaires.
Responding to Musk’s public query on the delay, Haasan said no billionaire should dictate the policies of a sovereign nation, whether India or the United States.
Musk had posted on X on Thursday that Starlink was licensed in more than 165 countries and had spent five years complying with Indian government laws and requirements, asking why it had still not received a licence.
Haasan, founder of the Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM), said India should welcome competition in satellite internet services, particularly if it could provide practical and affordable connectivity to people in remote areas. However, he cautioned that high subscription charges and equipment costs could place the service beyond the reach of ordinary households.
“Connectivity must bridge the digital divide, not create a new one,” Haasan said, adding that India’s networks and spectrum constituted strategic infrastructure rather than merely commercial assets. He stressed that national security safeguards were non-negotiable.
The actor-politician also argued that countries routinely adopt measures to protect domestic industries and address security concerns. Referring to US tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles and restrictions imposed by both India and the US on Huawei over security concerns, he said countries could not demand a level playing field from others only when it suited their interests.
Haasan also raised concerns about the implementation of BharatNet, the government’s rural broadband programme intended to connect 2.5 lakh Gram Panchayats through optical fibre. Citing the 2026 audit findings mentioned in his post, he questioned why only 33.2 per cent of service-ready Gram Panchayats were operational despite expenditure of Rs 39,888 crore.
At the same time, he acknowledged India’s telecom sector and regulatory framework for helping make internet data among the world’s most affordable and bringing millions of people online.
Haasan concluded that India was a democracy, not a colony, and said the country welcomed global participation but would determine its own future in accordance with the interests of its people.
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