Satellite 'Kill Switch' Must Remain In India's Hands, Says Bharti Airtel Founder

Bharti Enterprises Founder and Chairman Sunil Bharti Mittal has stressed that India must retain control of the "kill switch" for satellite communication services operating within its territory, warning against excessive dependence on a single foreign company or country for critical connectivity infrastructure.

In an interview with PTI marking Bharti Enterprises' 50th year, Mittal said the authority to shut down, restrict or regulate satellite services should not rest with operators based overseas.

"The kill switch, as we call it, should not be sitting somewhere else," he said, asserting that India must have control over its own space destiny.

Mittal said national security considerations justified the government's scrutiny of satellite communication providers, particularly as modern warfare increasingly depends on space-based technologies, drones, cyber capabilities and guided missiles.

Citing the Ukraine conflict, he pointed to disruptions in Starlink connectivity and said countries must safeguard their strategic communications against decisions taken by foreign operators.

He also called for multiple satellite service providers, saying India should not depend on one company or country. He emphasised that communications infrastructure, monitoring systems and ground gateways should be secured within India, with satellite traffic routed through the country.

Mittal said Eutelsat OneWeb, in which Bharti Enterprises has a significant stake, has fulfilled government requirements and is awaiting the final approval to launch commercial services. He expressed hope that OneWeb would receive the first approval.

India has granted satellite communication licences to Jio, OneWeb and Starlink, with final commercial launches dependent on security clearances. On spectrum allocation, Mittal said satellite spectrum is shared among operators and requires coordination, adding that OneWeb has priority in the Ku band.

He said satellite connectivity would complement rather than replace mobile and fibre networks, particularly in remote villages, forests, mountains, oceans and other areas with limited terrestrial coverage.