The Indian government is fast-tracking the establishment of a Rs 930 crore satellite communication (satcom) monitoring facility to oversee both Indian and foreign satellites operating over Indian airspace. Approved by the Digital Communications Commission (DCC), the facility aims to mitigate interference and enhance coordination among satellites, ensuring secure and efficient satellite-based communications.
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Orbital and Spectrum Resources Reserved for Indian Operators
With the low-earth orbit (LEO) satellite market rapidly expanding, led by Starlink (7,000 satellites), Amazon Kuiper (3,000+ planned satellites), and Eutelsat OneWeb (600 satellites), India is reserving critical orbital slots and spectrum resources. This move is intended to give Indian companies, especially in the NGSO segment, a competitive edge as they enter the market.
Officials aware of the details told ET among the measures that will be taken include setting up a satcom monitoring facility with an outlay of over Rs 900 crore to track satellites (Indian and foreign) over Indian skies, reserving orbital and spectrum resources for upcoming Indian satellites, especially NGSO (non-geostationary), and having a favourable ecosystem to set up gateways in India, that will serve local and global operations.
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New Telecom Policy to Streamline Regulations and Foster Growth
The forthcoming telecom policy, expected by 2030, will provide a five-year roadmap to simplify regulations and encourage the development of satellite gateways within India. These gateways will serve local and global clients, positioning India as a hub for ground station as a service (GSaaS).
"Some of the measures are likely to be announced through the new Telecom Policy, which will create a roadmap for the next five years or by 2030," said one official, according to the report.
A second official reportedly said that the DCC, which is an inter-ministerial panel and the highest decision-making body of the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), has already cleared the proposal for setting up the satellite monitoring facility with an outlay of around Rs 930 crore. The facility, once operational, will monitor both local and foreign satellites over Indian skies and satellite-based communication services in the country.
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"Apart from monitoring, the facility would be helpful for mitigating interference from adjacent satellites in the Indian sky and there would be better coordination," the official added.
Currently, there are no Indian operators in the LEO satellite segment, but the government anticipates this will change. To ensure Indian entities are not at a disadvantage when entering the market in the future, the government is reserving the necessary orbital and spectrum resources, officials noted.
"Already there are many startups in the satcom space, and the government wants India to emerge as a major player in the satellite market. The regulatory framework will be streamlined and simplified to unlock the potential of the satellite market," said the second official, as per the report.
"The law enforcement agencies can take a call which countries can be allowed to be served from Indian gateways," the second official added.
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Space Economy Set for Major Expansion
India's space economy is projected to grow to USD 44 billion by 2033, boosting its global market share from 2 percent to 8 percent, according to IN-SPACe. Commercial satcom services are poised to launch soon following the Department of Telecommunications' (DoT) planned spectrum allocation, with TRAI recommending a 4 percent adjusted gross revenue fee valid for five years.
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