Reliance Jio, India’s largest telecom service provider, has unveiled plans for a satellite connectivity network that could take its services beyond conventional mobile towers and fibre networks. The company showcased the initiative at the ongoing India Mobile Congress (IMC) 2026 in New Delhi under the banner of ‘Sovereign Satellite Connectivity’.
Jio has proposed a constellation of around 1,600 Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites and 23 ground stations across India as part of its plan to extend connectivity to areas where laying fibre or deploying mobile towers is difficult.
The proposed network is aimed at providing coverage across land and maritime areas, including more than 6,00,000 villages, remote islands and border outposts.
The satellite plan comes at a time when Elon Musk-led Starlink is also seeking to expand satellite-based internet services in India. A day before Jio’s showcase, Musk accused unnamed “oligarchs” of blocking Starlink’s entry into India. The government, however, said it has a fair and non-discriminatory authorisation framework for all telecommunication services, including satellite communication services.
Why is Jio looking at satellites?
India has expanded mobile and fibre connectivity rapidly, but some areas remain difficult to serve because of their terrain, distance and the cost of building terrestrial infrastructure.
Satellite networks can provide connectivity over areas where conventional networks are difficult to deploy. Jio plans to combine satellite connectivity with its existing terrestrial network rather than operate the two as separate systems.
The company has identified potential applications across remote sites, enterprises, aviation, maritime operations, government, defence and disaster response. Direct-to-device calling for rural areas is also part of the proposed plan.
What will the 1,600 satellites do?
The proposed LEO constellation would work with 23 ground stations planned across India. These stations would connect the satellite network with infrastructure on the ground and help integrate satellite connectivity with Jio’s terrestrial network.
Jio has also said it wants to keep the entire satellite connectivity value chain within India, covering design, engineering, integration and testing, launch, deployment and operations.
The plan is being showcased at IMC 2026 under the theme ‘Scale Without Boundaries’. The 10th edition of the event was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday.
For now, the 1,600 satellites and 23 ground stations remain part of Jio’s proposed plan. If implemented, the combination of satellite and terrestrial networks could help Jio extend connectivity to areas where conventional mobile towers and fibre networks face geographical or infrastructure limitations.