India’s first communication satellite will be ready by 2028: IN-SPACe Chairman

Pawan Goenka, IN-SPACe Chairman

India’s first geostationary orbit (GSO) communication satellite of India will be ready in about three years, estimated Pawan Goenka, Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe) Chairman, while speaking to media at the ISRO office in Mumbai.

“IN-SPACe has facilitated one frequency to be allotted to a private sector player who is now working on launching that satellite. It will probably take about three years before it is launched,” said Goenka.

The company in question is Hyderabad-based Ananth Technologies Ltd that has served as a big supplier to ISRO in the past. The company will serve as an operator while other users will lease out the capacity to provide telecom services.

According to Goenka, the project costs over ₹2,000 crore and provides Ananth Technologies with a frequency, owned by the government. IN-SPACe plans to free up 1-2 more such frequencies and inviting more private sector players to come and launch communication satellite.

Communication satellites to lead space economy

Goenka reiterated the government’s plans that India’s space economy will become a $44 billion economy by 2033.

“We will bring the space economy from $8 billion to $44 billion by 2033. That would amount to roughly half a per cent of GDP in 2033. Today that number is less than 0.1 per cent perhaps 5.5 fold increase in five years,” said Goenka.

This expansion will be primarily led by the communication sector contributing $14.8 billion, followed by $9.3 billion by navigation, $8 billion by Earth observation, $4.6 billion by satellite manufacturing, $2.5 billion by ground network and In orbit.

Goenka estimated that about $2-2.5 billion will be invested in India’s space sector economy every year until 2033.

“A lot of it will be internal investment by companies like Tata, L&T who are in the space sector are investing their own money. Smaller companies will rely on the investors and government. So, together we will be investing about $22 billion in the space sector by 2033,” said the Chairman.

He added that, bringing in investment for the space sector is one of IN-SPACe’s biggest challenges, considering investors do not often pay attention to deep-tech, particularly space. For this reason, Goenka said that the government established its own ₹1,000 crore VC fund for space start-ups a few weeks ago. Overall, the government has put in at least ₹3,500 to ₹4,000 crore to help the space industry.

Published on May 5, 2025

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