Ananth Tech to Offer Satcom Services Using India’s Own Satellite

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Private Company to Launch Geostationary Satellite by 2028

Ananth Technologies, a private company based in Hyderabad, has been approved by IN-SPACe to provide satellite communication (satcom) services through a geostationary satellite built in India. The service is expected to start by 2028, with an investment of about ₹3,000 crore. This will allow Ananth Tech to join the competition with global players like Starlink, Eutelsat OneWeb, and Amazon Kuiper.

What Makes This GEO Satellite Special

  • The satellite will weigh about 4 tonnes and will be placed in geostationary orbit, around 35,000 km above the Earth.
  • It will have a data capacity of 100 Gbps.
  • A single GEO satellite can cover all of India, unlike LEO satellites, which require many satellites to cover the same area.
  • Although LEO satellites have lower delay (latency), GEO satellites are better for wide coverage with fewer units.

Why This Is a Big Deal

  • This will be India’s first private GEO satellite under the new Indian Space Policy 2023 and IN-SPACe guidelines.
  • It gives private companies the full freedom to design, launch, operate, and manage satellite services, including frequency management.
  • The goal is to improve digital services like education, internet, and healthcare in rural parts of India.

Company Investment and Future Plans

  • Ananth Tech plans to invest ₹3,000 crore to build and launch the satellite.
  • Depending on how much demand there is, they might launch more GEO satellites in the future.
  • The satellite will be made in India, with help from ISRO and support from the Department of Telecommunications (DoT).

GEO vs LEO Satellites

  • GEO satellites stay in a fixed spot relative to the Earth, which allows one satellite to cover a large area like India.
  • LEO satellites orbit closer to Earth and offer faster signals, but need many satellites to cover the same region.
  • Using GEO satellites can be more efficient and cost-effective for countries like India.

A New Era for India’s Space Sector

  • This step opens up India’s space sector to private companies, which was earlier mostly run by the government.
  • Ananth Tech will be allowed to lease satellite capacity to other businesses.
  • It supports India’s mission of becoming more self-reliant and promoting local technology through the Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative.
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