Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries is exploring a major foray into satellite communications space, looking to invest billions in low earth orbit (LEO) satellites. According to reports from The Economic Times, the company plans a multi-billion dollar investment in the low earth orbit segment, positioning the Mukesh Ambani-run conglomerate against global players like Elon Musk's Starlink, Amazon Leo, and others. As per The Economic Times, "The company wants to be one of the biggest players in the satellite space, particularly in the low earth orbit (LEO) segment, which has immense potential," said a person aware of the details. The proposed satellite venture is expected to operate under Jio Platforms, the arm that oversees Reliance's telecom and digital businesses.
To drive the initiative, Reliance Industries has set up six dedicated teams focusing on various components, including satellite development, launch systems, payloads and user equipment. As reported by The Economic Times, the project is being led at the highest level within the group, with Mukesh Ambani spearheading the project while other top executives are playing key roles. Key figures working on the project include RIL president P.K. Bhatnagar, Jio Platforms CEO Mathew Oommen, and senior vice president Aayush Bhatnagar. According to sources, "work has been taking place on a war footing for the past couple of months with meetings happening with different satellite technology firms that can help in setting up the constellation," said a second person cited by The Economic Times.
According to sources cited by The Economic Times, Reliance Industries has begun discussions with the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) to support the process of securing orbital slots through the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). The government and the space regulator Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe) are understood to have reviewed the feasibility of developing a domestic non-geostationary satellite constellation during a meeting in January. The move aligns with the government's broader aspiration for an Indian presence in the satcom business, particularly in LEOs, as dependence on overseas entities can have security implications given the key role it's playing in conflicts. The government and space regulator are said to have discussed the feasibility of developing a domestic non-geostationary orbit satellite constellation during a January meeting.
Global competition is intensifying, with countries like China filing proposals with the ITU to deploy as many as 200,000 satellites across multiple LEO constellations. According to sources, "work has been taking place on a war footing for the past couple of months with meetings happening with different satellite technology firms," said a second person. The company could look to establish a low earth orbit satellite network within the next two to four years, either by building it internally or through acquisitions. Other players in the space include Eutelsat OneWeb, AST SpaceMobile, Sateliot, and Bharti Group's Eutelsat (second-largest shareholder in the French government-majority owned company). Reliance Jio has a partnership with medium earth orbit satellite firm SES, though talks are currently exploratory in nature with no finalized timelines.
According to sources, the group is also evaluating inorganic expansion options, including the possibility of acquiring an existing satellite firm that already holds orbital slots and related infrastructure. As per The Economic Times, "Options to have inorganic growth, like acquiring any satellite entity, which has orbital slots and infrastructure ready, are also being considered," said a third person. Developing an indigenous satellite network is seen as critical for providing India with digital sovereignty, security and data privacy, while also helping to secure critical infrastructure and take care of surveillance needs. The proposed venture would operate in the high-growth LEO segment, which is currently dominated by established players like Starlink and Amazon's Project Kuiper*. "Clarity will emerge in the coming months when all the options are being examined,"** said the first person cited, with the company potentially wanting to have LEO satellites in place within two to four years.
