The company emphasised that effective regulation will help in addressing critical challenges such as spectrum management and infrastructure.
Viasat, one of the leading global satellite communications (Satcom) firm, has called for public-private collaboration to drive India’s Satcom future saying that with the right regulation, the right guidelines and the right guardrails from governments, companies can address all the challenges.The company on Friday said it convened a meeting with senior policymakers, regulators and industry leaders for a high-level discussion on “Satcom: Opportunities and Challenges in India”, highlighting the importance of continued public-private collaboration in unlocking the full potential of India’s Satcom ecosystem.“The trade-off between risk and opportunity is one that every regulator faces, and the best outcomes come when governments and industry work together. Regulatory sandbox approaches, where innovation can be tested in a time-bound and risk-managed environment under close regulatory oversight, offer one way to explore new technologies while protecting consumers, national security and the wider economy,” Michael Howells, Global Head of Strategic Relationships and Market Development, Viasat, said.Evolving policyThe discussion focused on India’s evolving policy and regulatory landscape for satellite communications, emerging opportunities, as well as the need to address challenges relating to spectrum management, infrastructure, affordability, investment and market adoption, the company said.“You’ve got really high demand for skills because the sector is doing so well and growing so well... I’m sure the education system and the private sector will solve it. Smart people will want to work in this sector, and people from around the world will want to come and work here,” Howells noted.He said India is leveraging with its tremendous human capital strengths and that has been the result of strong public-private partnership, a supportive regulatory environment and sustained investment into the sector by ISRO and others.“You can see not just our company, but many companies like ours wanting to come here because we see the opportunity to partner and grow together. I have a great sense of optimism and excitement about what we can achieve together. It is a golden age for the sector, and we should seize this opportunity” Howells said.The roundtable was attended by Prabhat Dikshit, Deputy Director General (Satellite), Department of Telecommunications, Vinod Kumar, Director, Directorate of Promotion, IN-SPACe, AK Bhatt, Director General, Indian Space Association, and Anil Prakash, Director General, SIA-India.Published on July 24, 2026
