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Highlights
- Focus on low Earth orbit constellation deployment.
- Mukesh Ambani personally spearheading initiative.
- Government push aligns with domestic space capability goals.
Andrew Bonwick
Vice President of Product Development at Relm Insurance
Madhav Sheth
CEO of Ai+ Smartphone
Stephen Rose
CEO Render Networks
Reliance Industries is considering a big-bang entry into the satellite communications space, with plans that could involve investments worth billions of dollars. The move would position the Indian group in direct competition with global players such as Starlink and Amazon Project Kuiper, according to an Economic Times report by Kiran Rathee dated May 6, 2026, citing people familiar with the matter.
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Ambitious push into LEO satellite market
“The company wants to be one of the biggest players in the satellite space, particularly in the low earth orbit (LEO) segment, which has immense potential,” said a person aware of details, according to the report. The proposed satellite business is expected to operate under Jio Platforms, which currently manages Reliance’s telecom and digital services.
Six teams formed to drive multi-billion-dollar initiative
Six teams have been formed to work on different aspects of the project, such as satellites, launches, payloads, and user terminals, sources were quoted as saying. The initiative aligns with the Indian government’s broader objective of strengthening domestic capabilities in satellite communications, particularly in LEO constellations, amid concerns over reliance on foreign entities for critical infrastructure.
China’s aggressive push in this domain — including filings for 200,000 satellites across multiple LEO constellations with the International Telecommunication Union — has intensified global competition. Other nations are also accelerating investments in space-based communication systems to safeguard strategic interests.
Mukesh Ambani spearheading project
“Work has been (taking place) on a war footing for the past couple of months with meetings happening with different satellite technology firms that can help in setting up the constellation,” said a second person, according to the report. Reliance has also initiated discussions with India’s Department of Telecommunications (DoT) to facilitate orbital slot filings with the ITU, which is responsible for allocating satellite frequencies and positions.
