Reliance Jio’s 1,600-Satellite LEO Plan Gets Technical Nod from Regulator

Reliance Jio’s proposal to build a domestic low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite constellation has reportedly been deemed technically sound by India’s space regulator IN-SPACe, moving the company closer to developing the country’s first homegrown large-scale NGSO network.

According to a report in India’s Economic Times, citing anonymous government sources, the evaluation was carried out by IN-SPACe, ISRO and the Wireless Planning and Coordination wing of the Department of Telecommunications. The proposed system has been assessed as comparable with global LEO networks such as Starlink.

Jio’s plan is understood to involve around 1,600 LEO satellites, supported by 20–22 ground stations across India. The constellation would provide fixed satellite services including broadband and cellular backhaul, as well as mobile satellite services such as direct-to-device connectivity.

The proposed network is expected to deliver between 4.5 and 5 Tbps of throughput over India, significantly above the 600 Gbps capacity approved for Starlink in the country and the 3 Tbps planned by Amazon Leo, which is still awaiting authorisation. Jio’s constellation architecture is also said to allow coexistence with a future Indian LEO system.

The technical clearance means the Indian government can now support Jio in international filings with the ITU to secure orbital slots and spectrum coordination. That support will be critical as competition for orbital resources intensifies among national and commercial LEO projects.

Beyond connectivity, the proposal is being viewed through a strategic and national security lens. Indian officials are reportedly considering whether some satellites could host defence payloads, reflecting growing concern over reliance on foreign satellite operators and cross-border signal spillover.

The development aligns with India’s broader push for self-reliance in space communications. While Starlink, Eutelsat OneWeb, SES and Amazon Leo are all seeking or preparing services in India, Jio’s plan would create a domestic alternative with potential roles in broadband expansion, mobile backhaul, D2D services and defence communications.