In an overarching measure to consolidate national security, Indian broadcasters have delinked from the Chinese satellite network as per the government regulations and has espoused swift operational overhaul. This step is considered as pivotal in an era where the space domain is prone to imminent threat and is vulnerable to geopolitical risks. The satellite networks, associated strategic infrastructure and the critical data are fabricated to fulfill contentious goals.
This major operational switch by the Indian broadcasters is effective from April 1, 2026. Accordingly, China linked satellite companies such as Chinasat and ApStar are dethroned from the Indian broadcasting ecosystem, who indeed held a major share of the Indian communication and broadcasting market. For example, private broadcasters such as Zee and JioHotstar were relying on Chinese companies for leasing of transponders. The pivotal reason underlining this shift is to protect strategic infrastructure amid escalating unpredictability in the geopolitical landscape, thus fortifying against national security concerns.
As the Chinese companies are thwarted from the Indian market, the satellites are outsourced from the US based firms. Broadcasters are aiming to associate with the United States based Intelsat. Apart from the external satellites, India is mainly focusing on facilitating indigenous satellite networks to accommodate the communication and broadcasting needs of the country. More and more adoption of domestic satellites, indeed aid India to protect critical data and networking ecosystems, thus helps to shield against external threats as the intensity of vulnerability will be reduced. In this direction, an increased reliability on the indigenous G-SAT satellite system is also envisioned, which is operated by the state-owned ISRO.
As the Chinese satellite companies are debunked from the Indian broadcasting paradigm, AsiaSat, a Chinese satellite bulwark has received a three-months extension to render specific services and are allowed to operate in India. However, their long-term presence in India remains meagre. These measures reflect a significant shift in reshaping the communication and broadcasting landscape of India in view of strengthening national security apparatus and making it fool proof across the space sector.
The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting had previously directed the broadcasters to use only those satellite networks that are approved by t IN-SPACe. It is a nodal, autonomous and single window agency under Department of Space(DoS) to facilitate private sector participation in the satellite communication and larger sector. Accordingly, IN-SPACe had revoked the authorisation for Chinese based AsiaSat’s AS-5 and AS-7 satellites effective from March 31, 2026. Owing to the government regulations, broadcasters of India have successfully transitioned to other satellite networks away from Chinese companies.
A momentum to seek self-reliance in the space sector
As the Chinese satellite companies, who formed a mammoth share, exit the Indian market, more opportunity is rendered for the domestic companies. India’s own GSAT satellite network is gearing to replace the Chinese satellites by enhancing their efficiency and strengthening their domestic broadcasting capacity. GSAT currently covers 50 to 60 per cent of India’s broadcasting needs. The remaining 40 to 50 per cent of the demand is fulfilled by foreign companies. Thus, ISRO’s GSAT and other private entities are striving to bridge this gap.
In an era where the digital domain is encompassing the global communication ecosystem coupled with equivalent risks owing to geopolitical factors, seeking self-reliance in the sector of digital public infrastructure is paramount. Also, as global demand for satellite bandwidth rises amidst massive digital revolution, India aims to not just ensure national security but also aims to accelerate its footprint in the global satellite market and supply chain as a credible or trustworthy player. In this direction, India aims to produce more GEO satellites, enhance its capacity to manufacture large quantities of transponders etc. thus aims to gain end-to-end efficiency in the global satellite market supply chain backed with adequate domestic capabilities. To harness this vision, India is also encouraging space start-ups along with fuelling the potential of state-owned firms.
