Aiming for the stars! Reliance Jio plans 1,650-satellite network for broadband services

Reliance Jio is reportedly planning to develop and launch its own low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite constellation comprising 1,600-1,650 satellites at an altitude of about 650 kilometres over the next two to three years to provide broadband and direct-to-device services.

According to a report in The Economic Times, the Mukesh Ambani-led company has submitted a proposal to the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe), which is currently evaluating the configuration and technical architecture of the planned constellation.

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If approved, the project would mark the first attempt by an Indian entity to enter the LEO satellite segment, currently dominated by foreign players, the report added. The move comes as countries seek to reduce dependence on overseas satellite operators amid heightened national security concerns. Foreign satellite communication providers such as Starlink have faced increased scrutiny on these grounds.

A government official told the financial daily that authorities are looking to support Reliance Jio with International Telecommunication Union (ITU) filings required to secure orbital slots, given the strategic importance of the sector. The government is also expected to extend similar support to other Indian companies interested in entering the segment.

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Industry experts estimate that building a constellation of this scale would require investments of $10-15 billion (about ₹95,000 crore-₹1.42 lakh crore) and could generate a few terabits of capacity, depending on the satellites deployed.

The satellite communication business will be housed under Jio Platforms alongside the company's other digital assets. Jio Platforms is also preparing for an initial public offering.

Amazon's Project Kuiper is deploying about 3,200 satellites and has already placed more than 300 in orbit, while Eutelsat OneWeb has around 654 satellites in space. 

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