Reliance Ponders Multi-Billion Dollar Indian Push into LEO Satellites

Reliance Industries is weighing a major entry into the low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite market, with plans that could involve billions in investment as it looks to build a domestic alternative to global players such as Starlink and Amazon’s Project Kuiper.

According to an article in The Economic Times, the initiative is expected to sit within Jio Platforms, which already oversees the group’s telecom and digital operations. Multiple internal teams have reportedly been set up to focus on key areas including satellite design, launch strategy, payloads and user terminals, signalling a broad, vertically integrated approach.

The move reflects growing momentum behind sovereign satellite capabilities, particularly in LEO, where governments are increasingly focused on reducing reliance on foreign infrastructure for connectivity and security. India has been actively exploring the development of a domestic non-geostationary orbit constellation, with regulators assessing feasibility earlier this year.

Reliance is said to be evaluating both organic and inorganic routes to accelerate its entry, including potential acquisitions of satellite operators with existing orbital slots and infrastructure. This would help close the gap with established and emerging competitors such as Eutelsat OneWeb, AST SpaceMobile and Sateliot, as well as Starlink’s already scaled deployment.

The company is also engaging with India’s Department of Telecommunications to secure orbital filings through the ITU, a critical step in building out any LEO constellation. While timelines remain fluid, early indications suggest a potential deployment window of two to four years, depending on the path taken.

If realised, the effort would position Reliance as a key domestic player in satellite communications, aligning with broader national priorities around digital sovereignty, infrastructure resilience and secure connectivity.