New Delhi: The Indian government is thinking about making it easier for companies to get satellite communication licenses. This change could help companies like Elon Musk’s Starlink and Jeff Bezos’s Amazon Kuiper provide internet services in India through satellites. Recently, Musk’s SpaceX launched an important Indian satellite called GSAT-20.
Right now, companies that want to operate satellites in India must follow 30 to 40 rules. The government plans to relax some of these rules to keep up with global practices. These changes will make it easier for satellite companies to start their services.
Officials have been discussing these changes, especially the security rules, to see which ones could be updated. The government is also scheduled to meet with satellite companies that have applied for licenses.
Right now, some Indian companies like Bharti Enterprises and Reliance Jio have already gotten approval to offer satellite services. However, both Starlink and Amazon Kuiper are still waiting for their applications to be approved due to some pending security checks.
This situation is creating tension between the global satellite companies and Indian telecom companies like Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel. The Indian telecom companies want to make sure that satellite and telecom services are treated equally, especially when it comes to using airwaves needed for communication.
Overall, there is a lot of interest in the satellite market, which could grow big in the coming years, possibly reaching $44 billion by 2033 according to estimates.
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