India’s Jio Platforms gets license to operate Starlink-rivaling satellites: report

Satellite internet industry is seeing rising investor interest. / Photo credit: Kacific

Orbit Connect India, a joint venture between India’s Jio Platforms and Luxembourg-based SES, has gained permission from India’s space oversight agency to operate satellites over the country for its gigabit fiber internet, Reuters reported.

Orbit Connect is a direct competitor to global satellite internet providers like Starlink and Amazon’s Kuiper, which aim to provide internet in remote areas globally, including in India. In 2021, Starlink was banned in the country as it lacked a license to offer satellite-based internet services.

However, the Elon Musk-owned firm has since received in-principle approval from India’s Telecommunications Ministry and now awaits final vetting by the Home Affairs Ministry over security matters. Amazon, which plans to pump US$10 billion into Kuiper, is yet to initiate the application process in the country.

The industry is seeing rising investor interest, with investments in satellite component and system manufacturing climbing up to US$30 million this year per deal – a big jump from last year’s US$2 to US$7 million, per the report.

Apart from Orbit Connect, Inmarsat and OneWeb also got approval for satellite operations in India. However, they need the Telecommunications Ministry’s additional approval before starting their services.

Notably, OneWeb’s India arm was acquired by Jio’s rival Bharti Airtel in 2021.

See also: Why Elon Musk’s Starlink won’t get an easy pass in Indonesia