India's space regulator clears Jio's 1,600-satellite LEO plan, advancing the country's first homegrown constellation and reducing foreign dependence.
India's space regulator IN-SPACe has granted technical approval to Reliance Jio's proposal for the country's first homegrown low-earth orbit satellite network. The nod moves the telecom operator closer to deploying roughly 1,600 satellites for broadband and mobile services.
The proposed system would offer data capacity exceeding current global LEO constellations, according to company filings. Jio has positioned the network as a strategic asset that reduces India's dependence on foreign satellite operators for communications infrastructure.
IN-SPACe's review covered orbital debris mitigation, spectrum interference risks, and the constellation's decommissioning timeline. The regulator said Jio's proposal met all technical parameters. The company still needs final operating licenses before commercial service can begin. Jio has not disclosed a target launch date for the first batch of satellites.
India currently relies on foreign LEO networks including Starlink and OneWeb for satellite broadband. A domestic constellation would give New Delhi direct control over communications routing and data sovereignty, particularly relevant for defense and disaster-response applications.
The approval comes as India's space regulator accelerates commercial licensing under its 2023 space policy reforms. Several domestic players including the Tata group and Bharti-backed OneWeb have also filed for satellite spectrum. Jio's is the first homegrown constellation to clear technical review.
Jio's parent company Reliance Industries has committed capital to satellite manufacturing and ground-station infrastructure. The company operates India's largest mobile network by subscribers and sees satellite coverage as a way to reach rural and remote areas where terrestrial towers are uneconomical.
The technical nod from IN-SPACe covers spectrum allocation and orbital slot planning. Jio's proposal met all technical parameters, the regulator said in its order.
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