Satellite communications to play key role in driving India's internet reach: MoS IT

Satellite communications is emerging as an important part of India's ambitions to scale up quality internet access across the country, Minister of State for IT Rajeev Chandrasekhar said on Thursday.

For the digital economy and India's growing clout in global technology landscape, satellite communications holds significant relevance, the minister said speaking at India Space Congress 2022.

"Our goal...is by 2025-26 to have 1.2 billion Indians have the ability to connect to the internet directly through their device, and...role of satellite communications and space segment is an inherent part of this," Chandrasekhar said.

At times, wireless technology may have limitations and "satellite is clearly emerging as an important part of the blueprint of delivering quality internet to all citizens and enterprises of India," he said.

Satellite and space, therefore, will be important in the overall mission to ensure delivery of internet and goal of connecting people to the digital economy.

India's tech economy has evolved from being IT services orientated to additional realms such as innovation, startup segments, consumer tech, fintech, and e-commerce.

"We have a momentum going there, which makes us competitive with the rest of the world in terms of scale and quality and size, and innovation and applications that our startups are creating. But our focus is now also on the nuts and bolts of the internet, the underlying electronics, technology, devices and products that power the internet" the minister said.

The space and satcomm sectors are going to offer interesting and critical use cases that will catalyse startups, and development of devices and electronics.

India is an island of calm in an otherwise disturbed, turbulent global environment, where many nations are struggling with inflation and post-COVID era issues, the minister said.

India has carefully navigated the storm, to emerge as the fastest-growing innovation ecosystem in the world, attracting high FDI inflows, he noted.