India's telecom and space sectors are witnessing growth driven by foreign direct investment (FDI), technological innovation, and policy reforms aimed at enhancing connectivity and manufacturing capabilities. This was underscored at the 2nd India Space Policy Conference held in the national capital, which brought together key stakeholders from government, industry, and academia.
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Surge in FDI and Technological Advancements
Deb Kumar Chakrabarti, Advisor at the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), highlighted that 100 per cent FDI is already permitted in India’s telecom sector, contributing not only capital but also advanced technologies and management expertise.
"Lots of FDI basically have come from the telecom sector. FDI is not just money. FDI is technology. There are new management styles, many things that come into a new country. So, that way I think every country benefits if it gets a big share of FDI," he said on the sidelines of the conference, according to an ANI report.
DoT's Tech-Agnostic Approach
Chakrabarti noted that the DoT maintains a technology-agnostic stance, welcoming all forms of innovation to broaden consumer choice. "It never talks up any particular technology to be brought in or not to be brought in. We are always welcoming technology. Because it gives a bigger choice to the consumers, which is ultimately it will be doing good only the common users of the telecom services so that way it's always good to have more and more choices in the market," he added.
On the growing demand for satellite internet, Chakrabarti pointed out its relevance in rural and remote areas where deploying traditional communication infrastructure like optical fibre is challenging.
"It (demand for satellite internet services) will be growing, because there is a good amount of areas, but mostly in the village, rural and very distant areas where extending normal modes of communication like optical fibre or the microwave, it is very difficult, so I think that (there) satellite services could be an ideal replacement in those areas, and the more these satellite services are getting customised for this type of requirements - I mean the size is reducing, the cost is reducing, no extra devices may be required in the future," he supplemented, as mentioned in the report.
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Telecom Policy 2025
"The simple smartphone may be sufficient to work on D2D-type of services. I think it (satellite internet services) will have wider acceptance in the Indian market as well," he reportedly said, adding that the government is also focusing on manufacturing equipment for satellite internet under the new Telecom Policy 2025.
The policy, currently open for public consultation, sets out a mission to transform India into a global telecom manufacturing hub over the next five years.
According to the report, Bharat Bhatia, President of the ITU-APT Foundation of India (IAFI), lauded the success of the two-day conference, which featured in-depth discussions on direct-to-device (D2D) communication, spectrum policies, regulatory frameworks, and market dynamics.
D2D Communication and Spectrum Policy
"The sessions were very detailed and very elaborate. We went through a session on D2D today, then the second day. And very intensively discussed all aspects of spectrum policy, regulation, market demand, all aspects of D2D have been discussed in a very detailed panel, with the participants from the government, from the industry, from the satellite operators, from the chip operators, and I believe this today conference itself has been one of the very successful events," Bhatia was quoted as saying.
He emphasized the importance of continuous dialogue among stakeholders to resolve policy challenges and accelerate India's technological advancement. "The session, the last session that we had today on the Viksit Bharat, that session really provided a way forward. How do we make India a developed country by 2047, and that particular session really stole the thunder, because we are trying to use the satellite technologies to make India a developed country," he added.
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Liberalised Space Sector Unlocks Opportunities
In India, the space sector, liberalised in 2020, has opened new opportunities for private players. The creation of the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre (IN-SPACe) under the Department of Space has facilitated private sector participation in end-to-end space activities. According to IAFI, the liberalisation is expected to bring significant job creation and investment inflows.
