Mittal says India must hold satellite ‘kill switch’, warns against dependence on single provider

Sunil Bharti Mittal, chairman of Bharti Enterprises, told industry observers that India’s satellite communications strategy must avoid reliance on a single country or company. He highlighted that a concentration of control could expose critical services to geopolitical pressure or technical failure. In his view, a sovereign capability to deactivate any foreign link , a so‑called kill switch , would protect national interests and give the government bargaining power in negotiations.

The Indian market is currently awaiting approvals for several satellite constellations. OneWeb, a European venture, and SpaceX’s Starlink are seeking permission to provide broadband services, while Jio has been developing its own low‑earth‑orbit system. All three are at different stages of regulatory review, and none has yet begun commercial operations. Mittal’s comments reflect concerns that once any of these systems become operational, they could become the sole source of connectivity for remote regions, disaster response and defense communications.

Policy makers are now faced with balancing the need for rapid broadband expansion against the risk of over‑dependence on external providers. Options include encouraging domestic satellite projects, diversifying the supplier base, and embedding legal mechanisms that allow swift termination of services if security concerns arise. For Indian readers, the issue matters because reliable satellite links affect everything from rural education to emergency alerts, and a single point of failure could disrupt daily life and national security.