Satellite communications to play key role in driving India’s tech ambitions: Rajeev Chandrasekhar

New Delhi: Addressing the Indian Space Congress 2022 on Thursday, Minister of State for IT, Rajeev Chandrasekhar said that satellite communications is emerging as an important part of India's ambitions to scale up quality internet access across the country. For the digital economy and India's growing clout in global technology landscape, satellite communications hold significant relevance, the minister said.

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

Satellite communications to overcome the limitations of wireless technologies

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 the delivery of the internet and the goal of connecting people to the digital economy.

Expansion of India's multi-faceted tech 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.

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