New Delhi [India], October 8 (ANI): Union Minister for Communications Jyotiraditya Scindia declared that India will take a leadership role in the global satellite communication (SATCOM) sector, aiming to drive inclusive growth and digital transformation. Speaking at the inaugural session of the SatCom Summit at the India Mobile Congress on Wednesday, Scindia described SATCOM as a strategic national priority and a cornerstone of India’s digital future.
Scindia stressed that satellite communication is no longer a luxury but a necessity, calling it “digital justice” for millions in remote, underserved, or disaster-prone regions. “India will not merely participate in the SATCOM revolution, we will lead it,” he said, framing the sector as the next great leap for humanity — born in space but designed to impact life on the ground.
Highlighting the government’s achievements in large-scale digital projects, Scindia pointed to India’s 5G rollout, which has reached 99.9% of the population in under 20 months via 4.8 lakh telecom towers. Building on this momentum, he said SATCOM will extend connectivity to areas beyond the reach of conventional networks, including villages in dense forests, high-altitude zones, remote islands, and flood-hit areas.
The government has already connected over 29,000 villages under the Rs 40,000 crore Digital Bharat Nidhi initiative, with SATCOM intended to close the remaining gaps. Scindia described the technology’s potential across sectors — from enabling precision farming in Ladakh and telemedicine in Assam to remote education in Chhattisgarh — and stressed its importance for disaster response, healthcare, education, and national security.
He noted that regulatory reforms, including administrative allocation of satellite spectrum, have provided clarity for operators. Licenses have been granted to Bharti OneWeb and Jio Satellite, with Starlink receiving a letter of intent. Scindia projected the SATCOM market to grow from USD 4.3 billion in 2024 to USD 14.8 billion by 2033, describing this as “destiny unfolding through numbers.”
To support rapid development, the government is investing over Rs 900 crore in a National SATCOM Monitoring Facility to safeguard orbital and spectrum resources. Scindia pointed to recent ISRO achievements — including Chandrayaan-3, the Aditya-L1 mission, NASA-ISRO NISAR, and Spadex — as evidence of India’s growing leadership in space.
Closing his address, Scindia called for a coordinated, milestone-driven SATCOM programme involving government, industry, startups, academia, and international partners. “India will be the conductor,” he said, “leading the orchestra of global innovation and inclusion.” (ANI)
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