India Satellite Internet Market Overview, 2030

India’s satellite internet market is undergoing rapid transformation, driven by strong government backing and increasing private sector involvement. The market is projected to reach approximately US $1.9 billion by 2030, supported by major players like Starlink, OneWeb (Bharti Airtel), Jio Satellite Communications (in partnership with SES), and Amazon’s Project Kuiper. The Indian government, through IN-SPACe, has streamlined the licensing process, granting Global Mobile Personal Communication by Satellite (GMPCS) licenses and promoting spectrum allocation through administrative mechanisms rather than auctions. The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has mandated a 4% AGR-based license fee, with exemptions for rural users to enhance last-mile affordability. Satellite broadband is considered strategically vital in connecting India’s remote and underserved regions, aligned with the National Broadband Mission and Digital India goals. The government allows up to 100% FDI in satellite-based services under the automatic route and has encouraged ground infrastructure localization, requiring operators to establish at least 20% of their infrastructure in India within five years. Additionally, India is developing a Rs. 930 crore satellite monitoring complex to safeguard national orbital and spectrum assets. Public-private partnerships are being encouraged through schemes like the Technology Development and Innovation Fund, and models like Satellite-Bus-as-a-Service are being introduced to support indigenous capabilities. The use of the indigenous NavIC positioning system is also being mandated for satellite-based navigation by 2029. These developments highlight the strategic importance of satellite internet for India’s digital sovereignty, national security, and economic inclusion, with a clear focus on accelerating connectivity for education, healthcare, and disaster management in remote and high-altitude regions.

According to the research report ""India Satellite Internet Market Overview, 2030,"" published by Bonafide Research, the India Satellite Internet market is anticipated to grow at more than 21.07% CAGR from 2025 to 2030. India’s satellite internet sector is witnessing rapid expansion driven by domestic and international players. Bharti-backed OneWeb, in collaboration with ISRO, has completed LEO satellite deployments and is preparing for commercial rollout across India. Reliance Jio, through a joint venture with Luxembourg-based SES, has secured GMPCS licensing and is in advanced stages of infrastructure deployment. Starlink has received operating permissions and is planning phased commercial entry by leveraging partnerships with Indian telecom providers. Amazon’s Project Kuiper has signaled intentions to enter India and is awaiting regulatory clearance. Several Indian startups are also developing small-satellite internet constellations aimed at affordable rural broadband. Launch economics vary, but most players are expected to face upfront capital expenditure in the range of INR 7,000–9,000 crore for satellite deployment and ground infrastructure. Cost per user terminal remains high, between INR 30,000 to 35,000, though companies are exploring local manufacturing to bring costs down. Monthly service pricing is expected to range between INR 800 and 1,500, with tiered pricing models to address enterprise, government, and retail users. Opportunities lie in delivering connectivity to over 100,000 remote villages and under-connected regions across northeast India, central tribal belts, and Himalayan areas. Enterprise demand from mining, railways, oil & gas, defense, and disaster recovery operations also offers growth potential. Government initiatives like Digital India and BharatNet create synergy with satellite broadband as a complementary last-mile solution.

L-band is extensively used in India for mobile satellite services, navigation, and weather monitoring. The Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS/NavIC) operates in the L5 band (1176.45 MHz) and S-band, enabling regionally focused positioning services for civilian and military users. L-band is also used for disaster warning systems and maritime communication. Its penetration is supported by rugged weather-resilience and low signal attenuation. C-band remains widely adopted for broadcasting and telecommunications. India has deployed multiple C-band transponders in its INSAT and GSAT series for national TV broadcast, VSAT networks, and tele-education initiatives under programs like EDUSAT. C-band’s resistance to rain fade makes it suitable for Indian monsoon conditions. The growing need for uninterrupted satellite communication in rural areas ensures continued demand for this frequency band, despite its congestion and increasing 5G reallocation pressures. K-band, including Ka-band and Ku-band, is witnessing accelerated growth due to rising demand for high-throughput satellite (HTS) services. India has deployed several Ku-band payloads in GSAT-10, GSAT-15, GSAT-19, and GSAT-29. These support DTH broadcasting, satellite internet, and enterprise connectivity. Ka-band is emerging for broadband backhaul, driven by government projects like BharatNet and commercial rollouts expected from private players like OneWeb and Hughes India. The GSAT-11 and GSAT-20 satellites, with Ka-band capacity, are central to expanding high-speed satellite internet coverage across underserved geographies. X-band is reserved for military and secure government communication. Satellites like GSAT-7, GSAT-7A, and the planned GSAT-7R are equipped with X-band payloads dedicated to Indian Navy and Air Force operations. These frequencies are prioritized for defense-grade secure links, battlefield surveillance, and remote troop communication. X-band is also used in synthetic aperture radar (SAR) for Earth observation satellites like RISAT series. India’s evolving satellite communication roadmap emphasizes greater capacity in Ka-band and Ku-band for high data-rate services while maintaining strategic investments in L-band and X-band for sovereign and military applications. Spectrum coordination, orbital slot allocation, and ground infrastructure upgrades remain critical enablers of frequency specific growth.

Two-Way Services are gaining momentum across India due to the increasing need for remote connectivity, rural broadband access, and enterprise-grade communications. These services enable interactive data exchange between ground users and satellites, essential for applications like satellite internet, telemedicine, education, and government digital inclusion programs. Key deployments include the use of VSAT terminals under the BharatNet project, where satellites support rural broadband backhaul in regions with limited fiber access. ISRO’s GSAT series satellites and private operators like Hughes Communications India, Bharti-backed OneWeb, and Nelco are central to expanding two way satellite connectivity. Regulatory liberalization in 2022 allowing 100% FDI in satellite communication services is encouraging global partnerships and infrastructure investment in this segment. One-Way Broadcast remains a dominant use case in India’s satellite ecosystem, largely driven by Direct-to-Home (DTH) television and educational broadcasting. INSAT and GSAT satellites host multiple transponders in the C and Ku bands, enabling pan-India coverage of national broadcasters like Doordarshan and private operators like Tata Play and Dish TV. ISRO also supports mission-critical one-way transmission for meteorological data, cyclone alerts, and agricultural advisories. The EDUSAT initiative and Gyan Darshan channels rely on one-way satellite broadcast for distance learning. This segment is well-established, with high market penetration and robust ground infrastructure, although bandwidth demands remain stable compared to emerging two-way services. Hybrid Services, which combine two-way interactivity with broadcast functionality, are gradually being explored to serve more complex communication needs such as disaster response, military operations, and tele-education with feedback loops. These services leverage multi-band payloads and adaptive ground systems to deliver both interactive and broadcast capabilities. Initiatives like GSAT-6A (with S-band and C-band transponders) and GSAT-29 (with Ka/Ku-band beams for HTS and rural outreach) are part of India’s hybrid service capability expansion. The integration of satellite with terrestrial networks through hybrid connectivity is becoming essential for India’s digital infrastructure resilience and national security objectives. India’s satellite connectivity ecosystem is transitioning from a broadcast-dominated model to a more interactive and diversified framework, powered by regulatory reforms, public-private collaboration, and increasing demand for high throughput services.

LEO (Low Earth Orbit) satellites are emerging as a strategic priority in India’s evolving space policy. Traditionally focused on GEO missions, India is now embracing LEO constellations for low-latency, high-speed connectivity. The Indian government has allocated spectrum and orbital resources for LEO broadband projects, and private players like Bharti-backed OneWeb (in partnership with ISRO and NSIL) have already launched hundreds of LEO satellites with ground gateways established in Gujarat and Tamil Nadu. LEO-based services are targeted at bridging rural connectivity gaps, disaster recovery, and supporting emerging needs in defense, logistics, and mobility. Domestic startups like Astrome and Pixxel are also developing small LEO satellite solutions for imaging and communication. MEO (Medium Earth Orbit) has limited adoption in India’s satellite portfolio. The focus remains minimal compared to LEO and GEO, as MEO is more capital-intensive and complex to deploy. Nonetheless, global MEO operators like SES have shown interest in offering high capacity bandwidth services in India. Potential MEO-based services may emerge for enterprise, aviation, and maritime sectors once regulatory clarity improves and infrastructure matures. The segment remains exploratory, with future potential tied to international partnerships and large scale enterprise or government demand. GEO (Geostationary Orbit) continues to be the backbone of India’s satellite infrastructure. ISRO’s INSAT and GSAT series have historically operated in GEO, serving essential functions such as weather forecasting, national broadcasting, telecommunications, defense, and satellite navigation. GEO satellites provide extensive coverage and long mission life, making them suitable for India’s vast geographic and demographic spread. Notable GEO satellites include GSAT-6, GSAT-10, GSAT-29, and GSAT-30. These are integral to DTH, remote sensing, and secure defense communication services. GSAT-11 and GSAT-20 are part of India’s push toward high-throughput satellite (HTS) technology, enabling broadband capacity via GEO. Multi-Orbit / Hybrid satellite architectures are gradually gaining traction in India as demand increases for resilient and dynamic communications. The Indian government and ISRO are exploring integrated frameworks that combine GEO for coverage and LEO for latency-sensitive services. OneWeb’s presence exemplifies hybrid integration using LEO with existing GEO infrastructure. Emerging Indian players are working on plug-and-play satellite buses and payloads compatible across orbits. These hybrid systems are crucial for mission flexibility, especially for defense, disaster response, and scalable digital infrastructure. India’s orbit-type strategy reflects a diversified roadmap aligned with national priorities in communications, security, and space commercialization. Show more