Scindia says satcom security clearance rests with Home Ministry, denies bias | Today’s news

Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said on Friday that the decision on satellite internet companies’ compliance with security requirements rested with the home ministry, adding that it was up to the ministry to determine whether the companies had successfully met security requirements.

Scindia’s comments came after Starlink said in New Delhi on Wednesday that it has built its operations specifically for India with India’s security requirements and other regulations in mind, has implemented controls at every layer for India and keeps data on Indian users in India.

“I think the Government of India and the Ministry of Home Affairs must state that you have successfully demonstrated compliance with security requirements,” Scindia said in response to Mint question on India Mobile Congress in New Delhi. “That’s when the security requirements were met. And as I said, it’s something that falls under the Home Office. It’s a decision they make.”

Quick answers to key questions

•5 QUESTIONS

The Ministry of the Interior is investigating whether the satellite internet operator has met security requirements. Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said the decision rested with the ministry.

Starlink must complete a safety assessment and other regulatory milestones before launching services. The government says licensed operators must meet these requirements before commercial operations begin.

No. Starlink has been licensed but still needs to meet safety and operational requirements before commercial services can begin.

No. The government says the requirements apply individually to all licensed satellite operators, including Starlink, Jio and OneWeb. She said safety evaluations are underway for all three.

Each operator must demonstrate compliance with safety requirements and meet required regulatory milestones. The government also said the revenue charge framework needs to be finalised.

Read also | Mobile phone bills may rise again: 12-15% hike in telecom tariffs likely in 4-5 months

Scindia’s comments are gaining ground, as have the SpaceX founder and CEO over the past few days Elon Musk claimed that the delay in the launch of Starlink in India was due to the power play of “oligarchs”.

The Department of Communications hit back at the allegations on Thursday, dismissing any suggestions of bias as “baseless and incorrect”.

“India does not allow monopoly in any industry. Hence, even though it is Satcom (satellite communication), no single licensee has been selected,” Scindia told reporters, adding that three companies — Jio, OneWeb and Starlink — have been awarded the licence.

Amazon Leo is the fourth operator in the race for the license.

Read also | Tata Communications sees a $1 billion opportunity in data center connectivity

“Once the revenue charging system is complete. Once each of the parties (satellite Internet companies)…all three meet the requirements individually based on their own milestones with respect to security concerns and assumptions. Then of course they can start operating. But that has to be compliance done by each of them individually,” Scindia said.

The minister’s comments take on significance when Elon Musk posted on X on Thursday night: “Starlink is licensed in over 165 countries and has spent five years complying with every single law and requirement of the Indian government, so why still no license? Is Ambani the real boss of India?”

Sure enough, four years ago Bharti-backed Eutelsat OneWeb secured India’s first satellite Internet license in 2022, after Jio Satellite in October 2022 and Starlink in June 2025.

Reacting to the Musk controversy, Bharti Enterprises founder and chairman Sunil Bharti Mittal said on Thursday, “We (Eutelsat OneWeb) are waiting for our own approval… we hope to receive it soon.

The delay stems largely from security concerns, particularly the fact that Indian internet traffic leaves India, often through foreign operators such as Elon Musk-owned Starlink and Amazon Leo. Although these companies have promised to follow safety rules and demonstrated how their systems work, the government remains cautious, Mint reported on June 29.

Although Scindia said the revenue charge system must be finalised, in September 2026 the Ministry of Telecom decided that spectrum would be allocated administratively and approved a spectrum usage charge of 5% of adjusted gross revenue for satellite internet providers, including Starlink, Eutelsat OneWeb and Jio Satellite. This proposal is currently awaiting final Cabinet approval, according to officials.

Auction of telecommunications spectrum

When asked if the government would hold telecom spectrum auctions this financial year, Scindia said it would depend on demand, raising questions about whether it would happen this year.

“So there is a fairly reasonable amount of spectrum that has already been distributed. We had a very successful 5G round. The round before the last, as and when the requirements come in, and as we move towards 5G Standalone and then 6G, depending on the spectrum bands required. We will certainly have an auction,” Scindia said.

“We don’t have excess spectrum, but we also want to see when there is a desirable amount of demand and then we will hold an auction. It’s a very transparent process,” he added.

Read also | Jio Platforms is eyeing India’s biggest IPO, says Akash Ambani

In the September 2021 reforms, the Union Cabinet approved the annual conduct of spectrum auctions. “Spectrum auctions are normally held in the last quarter of each financial year,” the government said in a report dated September 15, 2021. However, the government did not follow the schedule and did not conduct the auction in the last financial year either.

In 2021, a total of 855.6 megahertz (MHz) of spectrum, in value ₹77,820 million were auctioned in the 800 MHz, 900 MHz, 1800 MHz, 2100 MHz and 2300 MHz bands. In 2022, a total of 72,097.85 MHz of spectrum, in value ₹1.5 trillion were auctioned in the 700 MHz, 800 MHz, 900 MHz, 1800 MHz, 2100 MHz, 2500 MHz, 3300 MHz and 26 GHz bands.

After skipping the 2023 auctions, the government cashed in ₹11,340.78 crore — the third lowest since competitive bidding began in 2010 — in the 2024 auction.