Jio Platforms will build a sovereign LEO satellite constellation and lease capacity from global providers to reach remote areas its fiber network cannot serve, MD Akash Ambani said.
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Jio Platforms is moving beyond terrestrial telecom. The company plans to develop a sovereign Low Earth Orbit satellite constellation and lease capacity from global providers in the interim, managing director Akash Ambani said at Reliance Industries' 49th Annual General Meeting on Friday.
"Jio connected India on the ground. Now, we must connect India from the skies," Ambani said. "There are still remotest villages, island communities, and border outposts where the Jio network cannot reach. For them, satellite connectivity will be the bridge to the rest of India."
The dual-track strategy targets a gap the company's fiber and mobile networks have not closed. Jio will lease satellite capacity from unnamed global constellation operators to start service faster, while building its own LEO satellites for long-term sovereign capability. The company is also constructing ground station infrastructure in India to support both the partner constellations and its own future satellites.
"This dual approach will enable Jio to meet India's connectivity needs faster, while laying the foundation for the Indian satellite broadband platform of global scale," Ambani said.
The satellite communications segment in India is currently dominated by foreign operators. Elon Musk's Starlink and France's Eutelsat are the most visible players, though neither has received a commercial license from the Indian space regulator IN-SPACe. Jio's sovereign-constellation pitch positions it differently from those entrants, framing the project as a national-infrastructure play rather than a purely commercial one.
Jio is preparing for an initial public offering, though Ambani did not give a timeline. The satellite initiative adds a capital-intensive layer to the company's existing telecom and digital-services businesses. Building a LEO constellation typically costs $1 billion to $3 billion for a functional network, depending on satellite count and ground-segment requirements. Jio has not disclosed its budget or target launch date.
"With this initiative, Jio is strengthening India's Atmanirbharta in space, placing India firmly on the global satellite broadband services map," Ambani said. "All these initiatives show that the best of Jio is yet to come."
The announcement comes as India's space regulator opens the satellite-broadband licensing process. IN-SPACe has received applications from multiple operators but has not yet granted commercial authorisation. Jio's sovereign-constellation framing could give it a regulatory advantage in a market where the government has prioritised domestic capability in space infrastructure.
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