Congress Alleges Modi’s Role in Airtel-Jio-Starlink Deal to Favor Trump

On March 13, 2025, Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh raised serious concerns over the recent partnerships between Indian telecom giants Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio with Elon Musk's Starlink. He alleged that these collaborations were orchestrated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to gain favor with former US President Donald Trump, represented in this context by Starlink’s owner, Elon Musk.

Ramesh pointed out the sudden shift in Airtel and Jio’s stance, as within 12 hours, both companies announced partnerships with Starlink despite their previous strong objections to its entry into India. He remarked, "It is now abundantly clear that these partnerships have been orchestrated by none other than the PM himself to buy goodwill with President Trump through Starlink's owner, Mr. Elon Musk."

The Congress leader also raised concerns over national security, questioning who would have control over connectivity during crisis situations—Starlink or its Indian partners. Additionally, he inquired about the criteria under which other satellite-based connectivity providers were permitted entry into the Indian market.

Furthermore, Ramesh speculated on a possible link between Starlink’s entry into India and Tesla’s manufacturing plans in the country. Notably, both Airtel and Jio recently entered into agreements with SpaceX to introduce Starlink’s high-speed internet services in India, primarily aimed at enhancing connectivity in rural and remote areas. However, the abrupt acceptance of Starlink by both telecom giants, despite their initial reservations, has sparked political debate and growing concerns over national security, regulatory policies, and scalability.

As of now, no official response has been issued by the Prime Minister’s Office or the telecom companies involved. The situation continues to develop, with stakeholders awaiting further clarification on the implications of these partnerships for India’s telecom sector and national security.