If US can protect its national security, why should India be denied same sovereign right, asks Amitabh Kant

New Delhi, Oct 10 (IANS) Former G20 Sherpa and NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant on Saturday reacted to the Starlink controversy, saying if the United States can legitimately protect its national security, why should India be denied the same sovereign right.

In a post on social media platform X, Kant said India welcomes innovation, investment and fair competition.

“But no global corporation, however influential, can expect India to compromise its national interests or dictate its policies,” he said, adding that what is considered national security in America cannot suddenly become protectionism in India.

Reacting to SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s latest X post where he took a swipe at billionaire Mukesh Ambani over Starlink’s entry into India, calling him “Dear Prime Minister Ambani”, Kant said, “This tweet is in extremely poor taste.”

“To suggest that India is controlled by one industrialist is both absurd and deeply disrespectful. India is a lively, vibrant democracy with a transparent economy and strong institutions,” he noted.

The United States has consistently protected its own economic and national security interests.

“Electric vehicles face 100 per cent tariffs, effectively keeping companies like BYD out of the US passenger car market. There are stringent restrictions on telecom equipment on national security grounds. The FCC is now proposing to bar testing laboratories in several countries from certifying electronic devices for the US market,” said Kant.

The government has slammed Musk over his allegations that Starlink’s satcom services are being blocked, making it clear that demonstrating compliance with security norms is an absolute must for every satcom licensee in the country.

Starlink has secured a licence to provide satellite communication services in India, but the company still requires security-related clearances and other approvals before it can commercially launch its service. The government has rejected suggestions that Starlink is facing a discriminatory regulatory regime, describing such claims as “baseless and misconceived”.

–IANS

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