Parliament Question: Private Satellite Companies

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2902 ANSWERED ON 05TH AUGUST, 2026 PRIVATE SATELLITE COMPANIES

2902. SHRI S VENKATESAN:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS be pleased to state:

(a) whether the private satellite companies are allowed in Indian market and if so, the details thereof including their ownership pattern;

(b) the names in which satellite communication companies would receive spectrum and the details of the process to monitor their operation;

(c) whether security clearances for satellite communication providers are issued and if so, the details thereof; and

(d) whether Rural, Border, Tribal and Island areas would be covered by satellite communications and if so, the details thereof? ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE FOR COMMUNICATIONS AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT (DR. PEMMASANI CHANDRA SEKHAR)

(a) & (b) Department of Telecommunications (DoT) granted authorizations under the Unified License (UL) for providing Satellite-based commercial communication services to an applicant only if it was an Indian company, registered under the Companies Act, 2013 and agreed to comply with all the stipulated terms and conditions of the UL, including Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) conditions, security conditions and relevant national laws.

Unified License with Global Mobile Personal Communication by Satellite (GMPCS) service

authorization has been issued to the following three companies:

(i) OneWeb India Communications Private Limited

(ii) JIO Satellite Communications Limited

(iii) Starlink Satellite Communications Private Limited Unified License with Commercial VSAT CUG service authorization has been issued to following 11 companies:

(i) Nelco Limited

(ii) Hughes Communications India Private Limited

(iii) Cloudcast Digital Limited

(iv) Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited 1(v) Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited

(vi) ONEOTT Intertainment Limited

(vii) JIO Satellite Communications Limited

(viii) OneWeb India Communications Private Limited

(ix) Avantel Limited

(x) Starlink Satellite Communications Private Limited

(xi) Inmarsat India Private Limited Further, the Central Government notified the Telecommunications (Authorisation for Provision of Principal Telecommunication Services) Rules, 2026 on 23.6.2026. As per the rules, a company registered under the Companies Act, 2013 is eligible to apply for authorisation and subsequent to grant of authorisation it can provide the principal telecommunication services as per their scope specified under the rules, through wireline or wireless terrestrial networks, satellite networks or submarine networks. For the purposes of monitoring compliance with these rules, the Central Government have the right to inspect and undertake assessments.

The Telecommunications Act, 2023 provides for administrative assignment of spectrum for satellite-based communication services specified in its First Schedule. The entries in the First Schedule include certain satellite-based services such as Teleports, Television channels, Direct To Home, Headend In The Sky, Digital Satellite News Gathering, Very Small Aperture Terminal, Global Mobile Personal Communication by Satellites, National Long Distance, International Long Distance, Mobile Satellite Service in L and S bands. Private satellite communication companies may obtain such spectrum assignments under the applicable regulatory framework.

(c) & (d) DoT has granted Unified License with GMPCS service authorization for the National Area to three companies, namely OneWeb India Communications Private Limited, JIO Satellite Communications Limited, and Starlink Satellite Communications Private Limited, to provide, inter alia, satellite-based internet services in the country. Security clearance to these licensees is subject to successful demonstration of compliance with the stipulated security and technical conditions of license. Satellite-based communication services provide connectivity in Rural, Border, Tribal and Island areas, which are otherwise difficult to be covered through terrestrial media such as optical fiber, microwave, etc.

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