India Sets New Guidelines for Starlink and Other Companies: Focus on Local Manufacturing, Data Localization, and Security Collaboration

Local manufacturing, data localisation country-specific navigation system, blocking mechanism and law enforcement cooperation are just a few of the specifications that India has laid out for satellite communications companies, including Elon Musk's Starlink India and Amazon's Kuiper, Eutelsat OneWeb, and Jio to be able to operate within the country.

In accordance with the Starlink guidelines India published from the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) Satcom companies will be required to submit to the government an annual plan for manufacturing with the goal of indigenisation to a degree of at minimum 20% on their terrestrial segment, which will be established at the end of five years after the start of commercial operations.

The news occurs in the same time that Starlink has been granted a security approval to offer its services in India, and has already made retail agreements with its rivals Airtel and Jio starlink. In addition, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) is in the process of finalizing the details that will be used for satellite frequency allocation.

Data localisation

Businesses will need to offer real-time monitoring to ensure that no data originating from or headed to India is routed through any gateways outside of Indian territory. They also must provide an assurance in which they promise not to copy or decrypt Indian telecom data outside of India.

National law enforcement, security and security co-operation

Operators will need to introduce restrictions on service for "any individual, group of subscribers or certain geographical areas" during "hostilities," the guidelines stated. The companies must obtain an independent clearance ("from security point of view") for data and voice service.

Special Monitoring Zones (50 kms within the an international border) along the border of the territory as well as along coastal borders that cover Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ, which extends to 200 nautical miles) are to be delineated to monitor user activities by the designated law enforcement (LEA) or security organizations.