Summary:
Singapore-based Singtel has sought FDI approval to directly supply satellite bandwidth to DTH operators in India, potentially ending its current indirect arrangement through NewSpace India Ltd. The company has provided satellite capacity to an Indian DTH provider for more than 15 years through a government-designated agency and is seeking regulatory clearance following changes to India’s space policy. Dish TV has welcomed the move and said it hopes Singtel receives the required approvals.
Singapore-based telecom company Singtel has applied for foreign direct investment (FDI) approval to directly provide satellite bandwidth to direct-to-home (DTH) operators in India, according to industry sources.
Singtel currently supplies satellite bandwidth to Dish TV indirectly through NewSpace India Ltd.
An industry source said Singtel’s FDI application is aimed at enabling the company to sell satellite capacity directly to DTH providers in India. The move would allow the telecom firm, which has operated in the country for more than a decade, to serve customers directly rather than routing its services through the public-sector space company.
A Singtel spokesperson said the company has been supplying satellite capacity to a DTH provider in India for more than 15 years through a designated Indian government agency, in line with regulatory requirements. Without specifically naming Dish TV, the spokesperson said recent changes to India’s space policy, which permit greater private-sector participation, have prompted Singtel to seek the required approvals to allow its Indian subsidiary, Singapore Telecom India Private Ltd, to continue supplying satellite capacity directly.
Dish TV welcomed the policy allowing satellite operators to engage directly with DTH companies and expressed hope that Singtel would receive the necessary approvals through the prescribed process.
