Page 38 - Mann Ki Baat, October 2022

Satellite Communication Driving India’s
Tech Ambitions
Sunil Bharti Mittal
Founder & Chairman,
Bharti Enterprises
The evolution of space
activities in India dates back
to 1963 when the first sounding
rocket was launched from the
Thumba Equatorial Rocket
Launching Station (TERLS) by
the Indian National Committee
for Space Research (INCOSPAR)
under the leadership of Dr
Vikram Sarabhai. Since then,
India has achieved several
milestones in the space industry
including the development of
satellite applications such as
telecommunications, earth
observation, meteorology and
navigation.
Over the years, ISRO’s growth
and endeavours have placed the
Indian space program among
India’s national development
goals. In March 2019, with the
establishment of NewSpace
India Limited, India ventured to
commercialise ISRO’s research
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and development activities.
Since then, India’s
advancement in the space
industry has been on a
trajectory of significant growth
demonstrating its highly cost-
effective capabilities and marking
its place amongst the elite club of
nations.
The Hon’ble Prime Minister
once cited India’s space
programme as the perfect
example of- Scale, Speed, and Skill.
In line with his vision, it is evident
that for the digital economy and
India’s growing clout in the global
technology landscape, satellite
communications hold significant
relevance. Satellite and space,
therefore, are essential pillars in
the overall mission of connecting
people to the digital economy.
Satellite communications are
emerging as an important part
of India’s ambitions to scale up
quality internet access across
the country. The Government has
strived to bring in place various
reforms in the space ecosystem
which have further ensured the
mission of the delivery of internet
to over 130 crore Indians. One of
the most significant ones remains
increasing the participation of
private enterprises in the space
sector.
Private players have ushered
in a new era of innovation
for developing space-based
applications and services. It is
safe to say that opening up the
space sector for private players,
especially the startups, is a witness to this launch with our
necessary contingent to making valued partners at ISRO and NSIL.
us competitive with the rest of the I personally, would like to
world in terms of scale, quality, size, laud our Prime Minister for his
and innovation and applications. visionary leadership in opening
India’s growing capacity for
up the space sector for private
satellite communication can be participation. I also extend my
harnessed to meet the country’s gratitude to ISRO, NSIL and the
communications demands. Indian authorities for matching
ISRO’s partnership with Bharti the precise schedule for this
Enterprises-backed OneWeb, launch, which has been done in a
for its biggest commercial record time.
launch with LMV3 assumes I am confident that this will be
great significance, signifying a first among many in attracting
a landmark stepping stone to a plethora of commercial
enabling satellite-based internet partnerships for NSIL and further,
in remote and rural parts of India. that these developments will
The successful launch spur innovation in the space
of the OneWeb constellation and communications sector,
programme brings us even underlining benefits in terms of
closer a step closer to delivering applications, opportunities and
connectivity in hardest-to-reach economic growth for all of India.
regions in India, particularly With the commercialization
those areas that are hindered by and privatisation of the Indian
roadblocks to assuring terrestrial space sector, India has truly
network connectivity. opened doors to the development
For all of us at Bharti Global, the of the space ecosystem, the
launch of OneWeb’s 36 satellites inclusive growth of the Indian
from the Satish Dhawan Space economy and the transformation
Centre SDSC-SHAR, Sriharikota of the lives of Indians across
is a matter of immense pride. the lengths and breadths of the
We are fortunate to have been nation.
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