en.Wedoany.com Reported - India is advancing its first indigenous low-Earth orbit satellite constellation plan. Previously, the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre (IN-SPACe) determined after evaluation that Reliance Jio's proposal to deploy approximately 1,600 satellites is technically feasible. This assessment, conducted jointly by IN-SPACe, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), and the Wireless Planning and Coordination Wing of the Department of Telecommunications, has paved the way for government support for Jio to secure international orbital slots, a move that could end India's reliance on foreign satellite operators for space-based broadband.
For the Indian market, this approval effectively fires the starting gun for a competition between the country's richest man and the world's richest man. Jio's proposed constellation will provide a throughput of 4.5 to 5 terabits per second (Tbps) over India, a figure significantly higher than the 600 gigabits per second (Gbps) approved for Elon Musk's Starlink. Starlink, which currently operates over 10,000 satellites in orbit, dominates the global LEO satellite market. Amazon's LEO project (with a target throughput of 3 Tbps) has not yet received IN-SPACe authorization. Indian officials stated that Jio's proposed capacity is the highest ever for India.
Unlike Starlink and Amazon's LEO project (both of which use foreign-built and controlled constellations to serve India), Jio's network will be Indian-owned, a distinction regulators consider central to the approval. IN-SPACe's evaluation reportedly emphasized the constellation's value in meeting strategic defense needs and reducing dependence on foreign companies. Early government discussions have explored hosting defense payloads on some satellites, a role no foreign constellation operating in India could fulfill.
Beyond geopolitical factors, the plan directly targets narrowing India's digital divide. Jio has proposed fixed satellite services, broadband and cellular backhaul, as well as direct-to-device mobile satellite services, supported by a planned network of 20 to 22 ground stations across the country. This combination could extend reliable broadband to remote and rural areas unreachable by fiber or mobile towers, and enable satellite connectivity for ordinary smartphones without additional hardware, echoing services already launched by Starlink and Apple in other regions. The constellation is reportedly designed to coexist with future Indian satellite systems, meaning it does not have to be the country's sole indigenous constellation.
