India's security comes first: Rajeev Chandrasekhar to Elon Musk
Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 9
Kerala BJP President Rajeev Chandrasekhar has defended India's security clearance process for satellite communication services in a post addressed to billionaire Elon Musk, saying national security must take precedence as the country prepares to embrace new technologies.
"A country has to plan for itself and its interests before every new choice. That's what India is doing. Patience is unavoidable and in this case is a necessity," he said in his post.
Responding to Musk, Chandrasekhar said all three satellite communication service providers were broadly at the same stage of obtaining security clearance.
Safety and trust had to be verified before spectrum could be allocated, he said.
"As someone who knows a little bit about telecom, as someone who played a decent-ish role in building India's wireless sector as an entrepreneur and then as a policymaker, let me share my thoughts," Chandrasekhar wrote on X.
He said India's technology sector, including telecom and the Internet, was guided by three principles under Prime Minister Narendra Modi: openness, safety and trust, and accountability.
"Open, free from any monopoly duopoly. Free and fair competition. Safe and trusted infrastructure, network, platforms must be safe and trusted. Accountable, every participant should be legally accountable for safety and trust," he said.
He also flagged the security implications of satellite Internet services, particularly in a country that had faced terrorism and insurgency supported by hostile actors in its neighbourhood.
"From 26/11 terror attacks to recent ones in Pahalgam, satcom has been preferred communication for terrorists," he said, adding that satellite based voice over Internet services and encryption presented additional security challenges.
He said these challenges were not insurmountable but required new capabilities and capacity to ensure safety and trust.
Chandrasekhar acknowledged the technological potential of Musk's Starlink service.
"I have used Starlink and I think it's awesome technology and represents a new era in mobility innovation. No doubt," he said.
Clarifying that he was no longer in government and did not speak on its behalf, Chandrasekhar said India had to safeguard its own interests while assessing new technologies.
His post comes amid the debate over security clearances and the rollout of satellite based Internet services in India.
— IANS
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