Starlink Connectivity: India’s Space Security Dilemma

By: Brigadier AJA Pereira, SM (Retd)

Pictorial representation of the title: source Author

When Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the dominant strategic assessment predicted a swift Russian victory. This expectation was based on Moscow’s demonstrated capability to penetrate Ukraine’s critical infrastructure like telecommunications, power grids, and command-and-control systems during the 2014–15 period. Russia had successfully employed cyber operations, electronic warfare, and information dominance to facilitate the annexation of Crimea and destabilise Donetsk and Luhansk.

However, this calculus was fundamentally disrupted by the rapid deployment of SpaceX’s Starlink satellite constellation. By providing resilient, satellite-based broadband connectivity, Starlink denied Russia the decisive information advantage it sought. The network became a critical enabler of Ukrainian military command and control, battlefield coordination, drone operations, intelligence dissemination, civil governance, and strategic communication with the global community. The Ukraine conflict thus marked a watershed moment, demonstrating how commercial space systems can decisively shape outcomes in modern warfare.

Understanding Starlink: Technology and Scale

Starlink is a Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite mega-constellation operated by SpaceX to deliver global broadband internet coverage. Unlike traditional geostationary satellites positioned at approximately 36,000 km, Starlink satellites operate at altitudes of roughly 500–600 km. This significantly reduces latency while enabling high-speed data transmission.

User equipment consists of electronically steered flat-panel terminals (dish), Wi-Fi routers, and compact power units, allowing rapid deployment even in remote environment. The system supports encrypted communications, dynamic routing, inter-satellite laser links, and seamless “on-the-move” connectivity for land, maritime, and aerial platforms.

With close to ten thousand satellites already deployed and plans for thousands more across multiple orbital shells, Starlink’s scale is unprecedented. SpaceX’s reusable Falcon 9 launch system allows rapid replenishment and scalability, reinforcing the constellation’s resilience. Operational today across large parts of North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Africa, and Latin America, Starlink’s reach continues to expand subject to national regulatory approvals.

Starlink’s Entry into India: Opportunities and Risks

Starlink has now received full regulatory approval to operate in India and is establishing ground infrastructure while awaiting spectrum allocation. The service does not charge per voice call but provides satellite internet, over which voice and data services operate. Expected pricing is estimated at ₹3,000–₹4,200 per month, with a one-time hardware cost of approximately ₹33,000, and speeds ranging from 25 to 220 Mbps. While the prospect of high-speed connectivity for remote and underserved regions is attractive, Starlink’s approval brings a complex set of national security considerations into sharp focus.

Dual-Use Space Systems and National Security Concerns

Starlink is inherently a dual-use system. Although marketed as a civilian broadband service, its architecture is equally suited for military, intelligence, and strategic applications. This concern is magnified by SpaceX’s expanding relationship with the United States Department of Defence, which increasingly treats Starlink as a defence partner for resilient communications, logistics, and situational awareness.

For India, several security implications arise. These include the potential for foreign-controlled satellite networks to provide secure communications to hostile non-state actors; challenges in lawful interception, monitoring, and attribution; and vulnerabilities during crises if service access or quality becomes subject to external political decisions. Strategic dependence on a foreign-owned constellation during conflict or coercive diplomacy could constrain national decision-making. Additionally, high-resolution connectivity over border regions, maritime zones, and sensitive installations could complicate internal security and counterintelligence frameworks if not tightly regulated.

An earlier and often-cited reminder of the strategic risks of space dependency dates to the 1999 Kargil conflict. During the war, India was denied access to high-resolution GPS data by the United States, exposing a critical vulnerability in relying on foreign-controlled navigation systems for military operations. This experience directly influenced India’s decision to develop an indigenous satellite navigation capability, eventually leading to the creation of NavIC, underscoring how denial of space-based services can decisively shape battlefield outcomes.

The China Contrast: Sovereignty and Strategic Autonomy

China’s response to Starlink provides a revealing contrast. Beijing has not permitted Starlink to operate within its territory, citing sovereignty, security, and information control concerns. Simultaneously, China is aggressively pursuing indigenous LEO broadband mega-constellations to ensure technological autonomy and strategic resilience.

In parallel, China is investing heavily in counter-space capabilities, including anti-satellite (ASAT) weapons, electronic warfare, cyber operations, and co-orbital systems designed to disrupt or disable adversary satellite constellations. Chinese military literature explicitly identifies Starlink-type systems as threats in future conflicts, underscoring that mega-constellations are now viewed as strategic military assets and legitimate targets.

India’s Expanding Satcom Ecosystem and Strategic Dependence

India’s evolving satellite communications landscape adds another layer of complexity. Major telecom players such as Bharti Airtel, Reliance Jio, and Vodafone Idea have entered partnerships with foreign satellite service providers to deliver connectivity, including on-the-move communications for maritime, disaster-prone, remote, and border areas.

These collaborations promise to bridge the digital divide and catalyse economic growth. However, they also highlight a growing reliance on external space infrastructure for critical communications. In the absence of a robust indigenous alternative, such reliance could translate into strategic vulnerability during periods of geopolitical tension or armed conflict.

ISRO’s Latest Ventures and Future Plans

ISRO continues to anchor India’s space ambitions. Recent and ongoing initiatives include the expansion of NavIC for secure and civilian positioning, the Gaganyaan human spaceflight programme, next generation launch vehicles, reusable launch systems, and advanced communication satellites. ISRO is also actively exploring LEO satellite constellations for broadband connectivity, Earth observation, and disaster management, with increasing private-sector participation under the IN-SPACe framework.

Future plans envision deeper integration of civil, commercial, and strategic space capabilities, ensuring assured access, resilience, and scalability. By leveraging public–private partnerships, India can accelerate the development of indigenous mega-constellations while retaining sovereign control over critical infrastructure.

The Rise of India’s Private Space Sector: Many Firsts

India is uniquely positioned to address this challenge. Alongside ISRO’s proven capabilities, the country has witnessed the emergence of a dynamic private space sector following regulatory reforms. Indian private companies have already achieved notable firsts: launching privately built rockets to suborbital space, developing indigenous small satellite launch vehicles, manufacturing advanced satellite components, and entering the global commercial launch and Earth observation markets.

Start-ups such as Skyroot Aerospace, Agnikul Cosmos, Pixxel, and Dhruva Space exemplify India’s growing space entrepreneurship. These firms are contributing to satellite manufacturing, hyperspectral imaging, launch services, and downstream space applications laying the foundation for a self-reliant space ecosystem that complements ISRO’s strengths.

Case for an Indigenous Indian LEO Constellation

Developing an indigenous LEO broadband constellation, an Indian equivalent of Starlink, is no longer merely a developmental aspiration. It is a strategic necessity. Such a system would enhance digital inclusion, ensure data sovereignty, and guarantee assured connectivity during crises. Designed from inception with national security requirements, it would reduce dependence on foreign providers while positioning India as a major space power in the era of mega-constellations.

Space the Final Frontier

In a world where space, cyber, information and terrestrial domains are deeply intertwined, ownership and control of space domain is foundational to national security. Nation states that lack assured, sovereign access to space-based capabilities risk operational blindness, strategic coercion, and enforced restraint at the very moment of crisis. For India, continued dependence on foreign-owned space infrastructure carries the danger of denial, manipulation, or conditional access under external political pressure. The choice is therefore either build, secure, and defend indigenous space-based capabilities at scale or accept strategic vulnerability in future conflicts. In the emerging era of contested space, failure to act decisively today will translate into constrained options and diminished sovereignty tomorrow. The choices India makes today will determine whether it remains a consumer of strategic space services or emerges as a sovereign provider shaping the future of the global space order.