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Mint
3 days ago
- Business
- Mint
Satellite in the backpack: Indian armed forces look to partner with satcom firms
New Delhi: India is looking to give its defence forces a competitive edge in modern warfare and security through state-of-the-art satellite communications (satcom) in partnership with the private sector, four people with direct knowledge of the matter said. The move will also open up new business vistas for satcom providers, which are yet to commence operations in the country. The department of telecommunications (DoT) is expected to conduct spectrum allocation sometime soon. Multiple trials have been conducted by the Indian Army, Air Force and Navy with private satcom providers such as OneWeb and Jio-SES over the past two years, the people cited above said. Trials with OneWeb, which is backed by Airtel's parent firm Bharti Enterprises, have offered low-latency, satellite-based network connectivity with military-grade encryption on multiple occasions. Jio-SES, the second Indian satcom service provider with a licence from the DoT, has also held more than two defence-sector trials, two of the people cited above said. The trials were conducted during the India-Vietnam joint military exercise in November last year, and Operation Brahma in Myanmar in April, among other occasions. The idea behind the trials is to see how old satellite communications standards can be overhauled for the armed forces, these people added. The Centre's move would see the gradual replacement of older, large very small aperture terminal (VSAT) receivers, which connect with Indian Space Research Organisation's (Isro's) geosynchronous earth orbit (Geo) satellites. Such receivers are typically bulky and need specialized transport, and their connectivity is also slow. OneWeb and Jio-SES offer portable satcom terminals that are small enough to come in a backpack. They also deliver faster network connectivity that is critical for remote drones and other tech-heavy defence equipment in distant areas, by using low-earth orbit (Leo) satellites. India is also exploring other global players. One of the people mentioned above – a senior government official speaking on condition of not being named – said initial talks have been held with Elon Musk-owned Starlink on how it can offer a massive satellite network for the defence forces while maintaining the necessary security protocols and silos that the technology will require. Notably, Starlink has not installed its gateways and equipment in the country so far, and is yet to conduct network trials and acquire security clearance from New Delhi. Emails sent to the DoT, ministry of defence, Airtel, Jio and Starlink did not receive responses until press time. New business opportunity 'Defence, maritime and border security will be key focus segments for enterprise satellite communication providers in India," said Shivaji Chatterjee, chief executive and managing director of Hughes Communications India, which is a partner to Bharti's OneWeb that offers both Geo and Leo satellite services. 'Multiple trials have already taken place to evaluate the potential of some of our latest offerings, such as OneWeb, in these strategic sectors," Chatterjee added. 'Other upcoming Leo offerings are also considered promising for rural broadband because of their extensive capacity enabled by large satellite constellations." Anil Kumar Bhatt, director general of space industry body, Indian Space Association (ISpA), said satcom services for Indian defence forces have so far been used as a backup to terrestrial and radio communications, even in remote terrain. 'Now, new-age infrastructure and modernization mean that India's defence forces need low-latency Leo satellite networks to make the most of cutting-edge technologies—and also to support operations far beyond Indian borders," Bhatt said. A second senior official, also speaking on condition of anonymity, said the government sees these satcom services as a way to enhance connectivity in the country. 'Even as there are use cases for the government and defence-related activities, these companies will be allowed to serve those sectors only after ensuring that national security norms are not compromised," this official said. One of the officials cited above added that a use case that has been explored includes 'providing small, durable and lightweight user terminals that can be carried by army personnel or installed on crewed and uncrewed vehicles—thus helping support communication, command, surveillance, and intelligence needs in fixed locations and on the move". In September 2023, a report by The Times of India said that India's defence forces had pilot-tested the use of suitcase-borne satcom terminals as part of modernized defence-grade satcom networks. Chaitanya Giri, space fellow at global think-tank Observer Research Foundation, said that Starlink is 'unlikely to get any imminent defence contract owing to the global geopolitics and the company catering to nations with which India might not be on the best of terms". While agreeing that India needs to overhaul and modernise satcom in defence arms, Giri said, 'But to do so, geostationary satellites that offer huge bandwidth of data and can be indigenized and concentrated on a solitary area could offer far greater security and faster network connectivity for defence applications. Companies would be encouraged if defence contracts included indigenization contracts—which would be critical for both ground-station and satellite infrastructure involved in defence." ISpA's Bhatt, a retired military secretary and lieutenant general of the Indian Army, further added that India will need to evaluate if the defence forces need their own Leo satellite constellation made indigenously, or acquire bandwidth from existing operators. 'Based on this, they would then take measures to make the satcom networks more secure," he said. Globally, too, instances of satcom service revamp are increasing. This June, Eutelsat, the global holding firm of Bharti's OneWeb, signed a 10-year agreement with France's ministry of the armed forces. The deal, worth up to €1 billion, sought to integrate military and civilian satellite resources for Europe to have secure space communications. Eutelsat also has a deal with the UK to provide high-speed, low-latency connectivity for the country's embassies, high commissions and consulates—as well as broader UK government activities globally.
Time of India
09-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Satcom permit may force Starlink to share information on illegal kits seized
New Delhi: Elon Musk's Starlink's satcom permit from the Indian government will make it mandatory for the company to share information, including details of users or owners of satellite kits seized in the country, particularly in the North-East region in the past few months, information the US company was unwilling to share security agencies have pointed out the misuse of Starlink devices in Indian territory, especially in the border areas, officials the Musk company hasn't been cooperating in sharing details of those devices. Officials said Starlink asked the security agencies to put their requests either via the US law enforcement or international protocols. This had forced the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to write to the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) in March to investigate the matter, officials aware of the details told ET. The DoT is yet to submit a report to the MHA. But officials say, now that a satcom license has been given to Starlink, it will have no choice but to share those details. Else, the company could be issued a show cause notice and even face revocation of license. An ET query sent to SpaceX, parent of Starlink, remained unanswered at the time of going to press. Various ministries coordinate when it comes to national security. Since commercial satellite communication services, particularly through low earth orbit (LEO) operators like Starlink, is a new phenomenon, its impact is yet to be ascertained. However, the security agencies have seized some terminals that were active in the Indian territory in the Northeast region and sought details of the owners. The DoT was asked to investigate the matter and take preventive measures to safeguard national interests. Experts believe that the situation may become more complicated as Bhutan and Bangladesh are now commercially offering Starlink services and the terminals may be smuggled into Indian territory as geofencing the exact location of the international border will have limitations. Security is topmost priority when it comes to satcom and so far, none of the three licensees - Bharti group-backer Eutelsat OneWeb, Reliance Jio-SES and Starlink - have got security clearances, hobbling commercial services. While Eutelsat OneWeb and Jio-SES joint ventures have got trial spectrum and conducted demonstrations for security requirements, Starlink is yet to be given such airwaves. The US company was given a Global Mobile Personal Communication by Satellite (GMPCS) permit only last week. Officials said while the Jio-SES demonstrations are almost over, it is expected to take more time for Eutelsat-OneWeb. Both OneWeb and Jio-SES have satcom permits and nods from space regulator Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre (IN-SPACe) for over two years. In contrast, Starlink is yet to receive the nod from the space regulator. The rules require satcom license holders to monitor all traffic, establish satellite earth station gateways, set up a control and monitoring centre in India, and all the traffic originating or terminating in India shall pass through Indian gateways. The companies are also required to create buffer zones along the international order. 'In case of violation of the license conditions, the licensor (DoT) may take suitable action including suspension, revocation or termination of the license and imposition of financial penalty on the licensee,' said a government official. As per reports, in December last year, Starlink devices, along with weapons and ammunition, were seized in Manipur by security agencies. In another instance, there was recovery of an illegal Starlink device in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. In 2021, Starlink found itself against the Indian law when it started accepting bookings and receiving advance payments for services to be offered in India without any authorisation from the government. The DoT had then directed Starlink to refrain from doing so and issued an advisory to citizens. Starlink was forced to rescind the bookings and make refunds.
Time of India
09-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Satcom permit may force Starlink to share information on illegal kits seized
Elon Musk 's Starlink's satcom permit from the Indian government will make it mandatory for the company to share information, including details of users or owners of satellite kits seized in the country, particularly in the North-East region in the past few months, information the US company was unwilling to share earlier. India's security agencies have pointed out the misuse of Starlink devices in Indian territory, especially in the border areas, officials said. But the Musk company hasn't been cooperating in sharing details of those devices. Officials said Starlink asked the security agencies to put their requests either via the US law enforcement or international protocols. This had forced the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to write to the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) in March to investigate the matter, officials aware of the details told ET. The DoT is yet to submit a report to the MHA. But officials say, now that a satcom license has been given to Starlink, it will have no choice but to share those details. Else, the company could be issued a show cause notice and even face revocation of license. An ET query sent to SpaceX, parent of Starlink, remained unanswered. ETtech Live Events Various ministries coordinate when it comes to national security. Since commercial satellite communication services, particularly through low earth orbit (LEO) operators like Starlink, is a new phenomenon, its impact is yet to be ascertained. However, the security agencies have seized some terminals that were active in the Indian territory in the Northeast region and sought details of the owners. Discover the stories of your interest Blockchain 5 Stories Cyber-safety 7 Stories Fintech 9 Stories E-comm 9 Stories ML 8 Stories Edtech 6 Stories The DoT was asked to investigate the matter and take preventive measures to safeguard national interests. Experts believe that the situation may become more complicated as Bhutan and Bangladesh are now commercially offering Starlink services and the terminals may be smuggled into Indian territory as geofencing the exact location of the international border will have limitations. Security is topmost priority when it comes to satcom and so far, none of the three licensees-Bharti group-backer Eutelsat OneWeb, Reliance Jio-SES and Starlink-have got security clearances, hobbling commercial services. While Eutelsat OneWeb and Jio-SES joint ventures have got trial spectrum and conducted demonstrations for security requirements, Starlink is yet to be given such airwaves. The US company was given a Global Mobile Personal Communication by Satellite permit only last week. Officials said while the Jio-SES demonstrations are almost over, it is expected to take more time for Eutelsat-OneWeb. Both OneWeb and Jio-SES have satcom permits and nods from space regulator IN-SPACe for over two years. In contrast, Starlink is yet to receive the nod from the regulator.
Time of India
19-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
New telecom policy targets 2x export growth, one million jobs by 2030
New Delhi: The government plans to double telecom products exports and ensure universal connectivity at affordable rates through a combination of terrestrial and satellite networks by 2030, while creating one million new jobs, as part of the next National Telecom Policy (NTP).The policy-being worked out by the communications ministry in consultations with all stakeholders-aims to increase the information and communications technology (ICT) sector's contribution to India's GDP from 7.8% to 11% by 2030, and attract annual investment of ₹1.5 lakh crore in telecom infrastructure, officials privy to the details told ET. The government has been focused on self-sufficiency in the telecom sector, pushing local production with initiatives like the production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme for telecom equipment. As on March 31, 2025, the industry achieved total sales of ₹80,927 crore under the PLI scheme, of which exports contributed ₹14,915 crore. "The NTP 2025 will be notified soon with aims and targets to be achieved by 2030," one of the officials told ET. New jobs in the sector will mostly be focused on roles in 5G and 6G, internet of things, artificial intelligence (AI), cybersecurity, big data, and quantum communications , the person said. "Going forward, an enabling framework would be worked out for integrating non-terrestrial networks, including satellite systems with terrestrial networks, to facilitate expansion of telecom services across the country," the official added. The policy targets 4G coverage for the entire population and 5G for 90% by 2030. The government also aims to complete fiberisation of all gram panchayats under BharatNet and provide fibre connectivity to all government institutions at village level by 2030. "The aim is to increase the fixed line broadband network from 45 million to 100 million households in the country," a second official said. There is also a plan to deploy one million Wi-Fi hotspots in the country by 2030. Further, satellite systems-particularly non-geo stationary orbit (NGSO) players like Starlink, Amazon Kuiper, Eutelsat Oneweb and Jio-SES combine-are expected to become mainstream in the coming years as the government aims to utilise satellite communication to provide connectivity in rural and remote areas. The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has already granted satcom permits to Eutelsat OneWeb and Jio-SES while a letter of intent (LoI) has been given to Starlink.
Time of India
18-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
New telecom policy targets 2x export growth, one million jobs by 2030
New Delhi: The government plans to double telecom products exports and ensure universal connectivity at affordable rates through a combination of terrestrial and satellite networks by 2030, while creating one million new jobs, as part of the next National Telecom Policy (NTP). The policy-being worked out by the communications ministry in consultations with all stakeholders-aims to increase the information and communications technology (ICT) sector's contribution to India's GDP from 7.8% to 11% by 2030, and attract annual investment of ₹1.5 lakh crore in telecom infrastructure, officials privy to the details told ET. The government has been focused on self-sufficiency in the telecom sector, pushing local production with initiatives like the production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme for telecom equipment. As on March 31, 2025, the industry achieved total sales of ₹80,927 crore under the PLI scheme, of which exports contributed ₹14,915 crore. Agencies "The NTP 2025 will be notified soon with aims and targets to be achieved by 2030," one of the officials told ET. New jobs in the sector will mostly be focused on roles in 5G and 6G, internet of things, artificial intelligence (AI), cybersecurity, big data, and quantum communications , the person said. "Going forward, an enabling framework would be worked out for integrating non-terrestrial networks, including satellite systems with terrestrial networks, to facilitate expansion of telecom services across the country," the official added. The policy targets 4G coverage for the entire population and 5G for 90% by 2030. The government also aims to complete fiberisation of all gram panchayats under BharatNet and provide fibre connectivity to all government institutions at village level by 2030. "The aim is to increase the fixed line broadband network from 45 million to 100 million households in the country," a second official said. There is also a plan to deploy one million Wi-Fi hotspots in the country by 2030. Further, satellite systems-particularly non-geo stationary orbit (NGSO) players like Starlink, Amazon Kuiper, Eutelsat Oneweb and Jio-SES combine-are expected to become mainstream in the coming years as the government aims to utilise satellite communication to provide connectivity in rural and remote areas. The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has already granted satcom permits to Eutelsat OneWeb and Jio-SES while a letter of intent (LoI) has been given to Starlink.
