India to invest IR400bn in new satellites
January 4, 2013
By Chris Forrester
India’s latest 5 year investment plan calls on the government to invest a massive 397.5 billion rupees (about $7.2 billion) in new satellite technology and DTH transponders. Part of the investment will go towards Earth observation as well as its own GPS system. However, India’s Space Research Organisation says it wants to build 14 telecoms satellites between now and 2017, and thus boost its on-orbit transponder portfolio from today’s 195 to around 400.
India has suffered the greatest of difficulty in meeting demand for DTH capacity from its domestic broadcasters, many of which have secured transponder bandwidth from the likes of SES and Intelsat. India has also restricted access to many channels from getting on air because of this capacity shortage.
ISRO says that 2013 will see three polar satellite launches, plus assorted communications satellite launchers happening between now and September.