Jio Platform Ltd is weighing plans to build its own satellite constellation, as the company seeks to cement control over the India’s communications infrastructure while Elon Musk’s Starlink faces hurdles.
The company is evaluating the deployment of a low-orbit satellite network for India, Akash Ambani, managing director at Jio Platforms, said on Friday during the AGM of parent Reliance Industries Ltd.
It is also partnering to lease capacity from global providers so that “we can accelerate service availability while building our own long-term sovereign capability,” he said.
The dual approach will help Jio lay the foundation for an Indian satellite broadband platform of global scale, said Akash, the elder son of Mukesh and Nita Ambani. The company is also building ground stations to support partners and its own network, he informed shareholders.
Global giants Starlink and Amazon Leo have yet to begin commercial operations in India. The government has effectively frozen approvals for Starlink, Bloomberg News reported earlier this month, citing concerns over the use of the company’s network in the Iran war. Starlink operates the world’s largest constellation, with over 10,000 satellites in orbit. Jio has also tied up with Musk’s firm.
Jio is set to launch over 1,600 low-orbit satellites in the next two to three years, sources said. Reliance recently acquired a stake in Bengaluru-based Digantara, which specialises in ground stations, tracking satellites and space debris using its own technology. The funding is likely to support overseas growth, satellite manufacturing and higher production capacity.