Bharti Enterprises will reportedly invest €31.4 million (approximately Rs 3.13 billion) in French satellite firm Eutelsat’s €1.35 billion (around Rs 112.50 billion) capital raising initiative. The fresh capital will help Eutelsat’s reduce debt and fund investments in its satellite constellations.
As part of the capital infusion, the French government will also contribute €526.4 million, becoming Eutelsat’s largest shareholder with a 29.99 per cent stake, surpassing Bharti Space, which will now hold an 18.7 per cent stake. Other key investors include CMA CGM (€100.4 million) and sovereign fund FSP (€57.8 million).
The fundraise follows Eutelsat’s recent 10-year agreement with France’s Ministry of the Armed Forces under the €1 billion Nexus programme, aimed at enhancing military and civilian satellite capabilities across Europe.
The development also comes amid rising activity in India’s satellite internet market. Eutelsat OneWeb, formed through a 2023 merger with UK-based OneWeb, has received all regulatory clearances except spectrum and is preparing to launch commercial low Earth orbit (LEO) broadband services in India. The company currently operates a fleet of over 600 LEO satellites.
