India starts blocking Chinese-linked satellites amid security push; broadcasters told to shift by March

Scientists suggest advanced alien civilizations might remain undetectable (Image: Zhuoxiao Wang)

India has started phasing out satellites with Chinese ownership or links from its communication and broadcasting networks as part of a broader effort to tighten space-sector security against potential geopolitical risks, Economic Times reported on Thursday.

According to the report, the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe), the space-sector regulator under the Department of Space, has rejected proposals from Chinasat, ApStar, and Hong Kong-based AsiaSat to offer satellite capacity to Indian broadcasters and teleport operators.

AsiaSat, which has operated in India for more than three decades, currently holds authorisation only for two satellites, AS5 and AS7, valid till March 2026, while approvals for its other assets AS6, AS8, and AS9 have been declined.

A person aware of the matter told Economic Times that broadcasters including JioStar and Zee, as well as teleport operators, have been instructed to migrate from AsiaSat-5 and AsiaSat-7 to other satellites such as India’s GSAT or US-based Intelsat by March next year.

“These companies have already begun shifting to avoid service disruption,” the person said.

Zee confirmed to Economic Times that it has moved its broadcasting services to GSAT-30, GSAT-17, and Intelsat-20 satellites.

“This move happened by mid-September 2025. As of now, we do not have any services on AsiaSat-7,” a Zee spokesperson said.

IN-SPACe, JioStar, and ApStar did not respond to ET’s queries. AsiaSat, meanwhile, is seeking a renewed licence to continue operations in India.

Rajdeepsinh Gohil, Managing Director of Inorbit Space, AsiaSat’s authorised partner in India, told ET that the company has applied for an extension of AsiaSat-5 and 7’s C-band operations and has held multiple meetings with IN-SPACe officials, including its chairman.

“IN-SPACe has not given any reason for declining long-term authorisation, though it has acknowledged AsiaSat’s contribution to India over the last 33 years,” Gohil said.

“There is no history of AsiaSat non-compliance in India. All prior uplinks on AsiaSat satellites were approved by MIB, DoT, DoS and MHA,” he added.

Under India’s new regulatory framework, all foreign satellites must now seek explicit IN-SPACe authorisation to operate in the country. Officials quoted by ET said India has built sufficient domestic satellite capacity through the GSAT programme, ensuring broadcasters no longer rely on Chinese-linked assets as they did during earlier shortages.

Foreign operators such as Intelsat, Inmarsat, Starlink, OneWeb, IPStar, and OrbitConnect have already received approval to offer communication and broadcasting services in India.

Officials told ET that space has become central to national security, prompting the government to prioritise indigenous satellite capacity and infrastructure.