India Prepares for Satcom Era, Plans Rs 930 Crore Satellite Monitoring Facility: Report

India Prepares for Satcom Era, Plans Rs 930 Crore Satellite Monitoring Facility
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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Also Read: TRAI Says Satcom Services Complement and Do Not Compete With Terrestrial Networks

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.

Also Read: Starlink Secures LoI for GMPCS Licence, Nears India Entry

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.