Ananth Tech to launch India's first private satellite broadband service

Hyderabad-based Ananth Technologies is reportedly set to become the first private Indian company to offer satellite communication (satcom) services using a domestically-built satellite. This is a significant development for India's space and telecommunications sectors. This marks a shift in the country’s space ecosystem, positioning the firm to directly compete with international players such as Starlink (SpaceX), Eutelsat OneWeb, and Amazon’s Project Kuiper.

The Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe), the space regulator, has granted Ananth Technologies the go-ahead to roll out broadband-from-space services starting in 2028.

Ananth Technologies plans to deploy a 4-tonne geostationary (GEO) communication satellite that will deliver a data capacity of up to 100 gigabits per second (Gbps) to users across the country. An initial investment of ₹3,000 crores has been committed to the venture, with the possibility for further funding depending on demand, according to the report.

While many global players operate in low earth orbit (LEO) — typically 400 to 2,000 km from Earth — Ananth Technologies will deploy a satellite in geostationary orbit, over 35,000 km above the planet.

LEO satellites, like those used by Starlink, Amazon, and OneWeb, complete an orbit every 1–2 hours, allowing for low-latency broadband. In contrast, GEO satellites orbit the Earth once every 24 hours, appearing stationary from the ground. While latency is higher in GEO systems, they offer broader territorial coverage — a single satellite can blanket the entire Indian subcontinent, unlike LEO constellations that require multiple satellites for complete coverage.