Amazon’s Project Kuiper eyes Indian market as satellite internet race heats up

Amazon is making strategic moves to enter the Indian satellite internet market through its ambitious Project Kuiper. The company has reportedly filed a new request with the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), seeking authorization to provide satellite broadband services under the GMPCS (Global Mobile Personal Communication by Satellite) licensing framework. Although an earlier application was filed nearly two years ago, Amazon is now accelerating its efforts ahead of a planned commercial launch later this year.

Project Kuiper is Amazon’s initiative to deploy a network of over 3,200 low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellites aimed at delivering fast and cost-effective internet to underserved and remote areas around the world. On April 28, Amazon successfully placed 27 satellites into orbit, the first operational batch in its growing constellation. More launches are scheduled in the months to come, as the company builds out its global infrastructure.

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In India, Amazon reportedly plans to set up significant ground support for its satellite network. This includes building 10 gateway earth stations and establishing key operational hubs in Mumbai and Chennai. These facilities will help improve connectivity, reduce latency, and ensure reliable service delivery to Indian users.

The Indian satellite internet sector is rapidly gaining momentum. Elon Musk’s Starlink has already secured a Letter of Intent from the Indian government and plans to offer services in collaboration with local telecom giants like Jio and Airtel. Bharti Airtel's Eutelsat OneWeb and the Jio-SES joint venture have also received GMPCS licenses and are laying the groundwork for operations.

While OneWeb and Jio-SES operate smaller networks using LEO and MEO satellites respectively, Starlink and Amazon’s Kuiper aim to provide broader bandwidth coverage with more extensive satellite fleets.