Satcom rollout to begin after Trai finalises spectrum prices: Scindia

Satellite broadband services in the country will begin after companies finalise their rollout plan and the sector regulatory Trai suggests spectrum prices, Union Telecom Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said on Thursday.

Speaking to reporters at the India Mobile Congress 2025, the minister said that two Satcom play-ers have been given licenses for Satcom services, and a Letter of Intent (LoI) has been issued to another.

"It depends on the players in terms of how quickly they can roll out their execution strategy. There is one issue that Trai has to still finalise the spectrum pricing. That is the pending part, and that regulator will do," Scindia said.

The minister further added that, the Indian satellite communications (satcom) market, valued at $4.3 billion in 2024, is expected to triple to $14.8 billion by 2033, underscoring both the econom-ic and strategic potential of the sector.

Recalling India’s remarkable journey from Aryabhata (1975) to Chandrayaan-3, Aditya-L1, NISAR and upcoming Gaganyaan and next-generation reusable launch vehicles, Scindia said In-dia has transformed from being a follower to a global leader in space innovation.

“India must not just be a beneficiary of satellite services — it must become a hub, an exporter, and a trusted global partner,” he asserted during the India Mobile Congress (IMC) 2025 event here.

The minister called for a coordinated, milestone-driven SATCOM programme uniting govern-ment, industry, startups, academia, and international partners. “In the great symphony of pro-gress, India will not be a silent listener. India will be the conductor, leading the orchestra of global innovation — composing the melody of opportunity,” Scindia said.

He also announced a Rs 900 crore National Satcom Monitoring Facility, which will safeguard spectrum assets and strengthen India’s satellite gateways.

There is growing public anticipation over the Satcom rollout in India, with prominent companies, including billionaire Elon Musk-owned Starlink, Bharti-backed Eutelsat OneWeb, and Reliance Jio-SES, keenly eyeing the high-stakes game of broadband beamed from Indian skies. The gov-ernment has granted permits to Eutelsat OneWeb and Jio-SES, and issued a Letter of Intent (LoI) to Starlink.

Addressing the gathering, Scindia said the Satcom Summit marks “the threshold of a revolution — a revolution born in the sky, carried by satellites, but destined to transform lives on the ground.”

He highlighted that under the visionary leadership of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India has become a pace-setter in global digital transformation, connecting 99.9 per cent of India’s population through 4.8 lakh 5G towers in just 20 months — the fastest rollout in the world.