Measat headquarters. Photo: Measat

Malaysian satellite operator Measat has received authorization to provide satellite services in India through NewSpace India Limited as a local partner. 

Measat announced July 8 that it secured authorization from the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe) to offer satellite services in India through NSIL, which is India’s government-owned satellite owner and operator. 

Through NSIL, Measat will offer satellite capacity to pay-TV operators and broadcasters in the Indian market, which will allow for the distribution of over 600 TV channels to reach more than 11 million direct-to-home (DTH) customers in India. 

Measat COO Yau Chyong Lim commented in a release that Measat has worked with NSIL and this is an expansion of their collaboration. “Whether it is in broadcasting, bridging the rural communications gap, or other uses, we are confident that Measat’s portfolio of services has broad potential for application in this region in the coming years,” Lim commented. 

A number of satellite operators have made progress on regulatory access to India in recent months. Thaicom received market access to India in late 2024. In May, Intelsat received approval from the Indian government to provide satellite coverage directly to India’s broadcast media companies. And SpaceX’s Starlink has reportedly received a key telecommunications approval last month, but has more approvals to secure before it can provide service.