ITU-APT Foundation of India (IAFI) has conducted a two-day Space Policy Conference 2025 (ISPC-25) at Hotel Imperial, New Delhi and was attended by over 200 delegates. It brought together senior government officials, international regulators, industry leaders, and satellite experts to discuss India’s emerging space and spectrum ecosystem. Across six technical sessions and two plenaries, participants examined regulatory frameworks, global spectrum policy, satellite applications, Direct-to-Device (D2D) communications, and the path toward India’s Viksit Bharat vision.
Anil Kumar Lahoti, chairman, Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), in his inaugural address stated, “Satellite communication (satcom) will be pivotal in fulfilling India’s digital inclusion goals. With the right spectrum policy and regulatory flexibility, particularly in enabling non-geostationary satellite systems, we can ensure affordable, high-quality connectivity across the most remote corners of the country.” He reaffirmed that TRAI’s recent recommendations, including a 4% adjusted gross revenue (AGR) fee applicable to both geostationary orbit (GSO) and non-GSO (NGSO) operators, were designed to create a balanced and innovation-friendly ecosystem.”
He also emphasised the importance of non-terrestrial networks (NTNs) in delivering up to $250 billion in global socio-economic benefits by 2030, supporting the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Further, he noted, “Department of Telecommunications (DoT) is working to finalise satcom rules, streamlining spectrum allocation, simplifying licensing, and promoting ease of doing business”.
Meanwhile, Bharat Bhatia, president, IAFI, commended India’s transformative policy shift. “India has opened up the space sector to private players, and the way the policy has evolved, it is going to bring in a lot of new jobs and investments.” He noted that in recent years, IAFI has emerged as a powerful voice for Indian stakeholders in global telecom and satellite forums. “With ISPC-25, we are bringing together the right people at the right time to align India’s policy and regulatory ecosystem with the massive technological shift being driven by satellite innovation,” he added.
Further, Isabelle Mauro, director general, Global Satellite Operators Association (GSOA), highlighted the critical role of satellites in bridging the digital divide, particularly in disaster-prone and remote areas. She urged India to embrace a more agile regulatory framework to accelerate deployment, suggesting “a progressive approach including administrative allocation of satellite spectrum can help ensure digital equity and inclusion.”
Furthermore, Gautam Sharma, managing director, Viasat India, raised concerns about global spectrum consolidation and encouraged the Indian government to safeguard its orbital assets. He noted that Viasat was working closely with Indian startups to launch D2D-enabled satellites by next year.
Representing the government, Revathi Mannepalli, joint wireless advisor and member, ITU Radio Regulatory Board, reiterated the Indian Space Policy 2023’s importance in enabling private sector participation and supported the idea of a dedicated space regulator to streamline licensing and enhance transparency.
Throughout the six technical sessions and two plenaries, delegates explored key aspects of India’s space transformation. Moreover, Tony Azzarelli, vice president, Eutelsat OneWeb, remarked, “We have been very busy for the past two years to provide services in India. We are just waiting for the final touches of the regulations, which are crucia.”
The first technical session focused on India’s evolving space policy and regulatory framework. Arun Agrawal, deputy director general (Satellite), DoT, provided an overview of policy and licensing structures supporting the satellite sector. Vinay Paliwal, deputy director, Programme Management and Authorisation Directorate, IN-SPACe, highlighted efforts to simplify authorisations and catalyse private sector engagement. Lt. Gen. Anil Kumar Bhatt (Retd.), Director General, Indian Space Association (ISpA), spoke about the growing industry-government collaboration and the importance of IN-SPACe as a single-window facilitator. Tony Azzarelli emphasised global coordination for spectrum and orbital resources, particularly for NGSO satellite systems. Dr Laura Roberti, director, spectrum and market access, Telesat, stressed the need for internationally harmonised regulations and efficient spectrum access to support sustainable growth in satellite services.
The second session addressed spectrum issues in the lead-up to WRC-27, focusing on agenda items 1.1 to 1.6. Amit Gulati, senior deputy, wireless advisor, WPC, DoT, outlined India’s preparatory strategy and its alignment with international developments. Participating virtually, J. Sofi, associate director (Frequency Management), ISRO Satellite Communication Programme Office, discussed coordination challenges in satellite network deployment and the importance of protecting interference-free operations. Dr Laura Roberti returned to address global regulatory alignment and market access constraints. Marta Donate Fuente, spectrum engineer, Eutelsat OneWeb, joining remotely, offered global insights on fair spectrum sharing and multi-operator coexistence in increasingly congested orbital environments.
Session three, chaired by Gulab Chand, joint wireless advisor, DoT, explored spectrum requirements for defence, civil aviation, and maritime safety. Laurent Parente, director general, International Mobile Satellite Organisation (IMSO), delivered a virtual keynote stressing the preservation of interference-free environments for critical safety systems such as GMDSS. John Dodd, director, safety services, Inmarsat, presented the modernisation of maritime safety services. Brigadier Rahul Anand, director, joint communication electronics staff (JCES), integrated defence staff, Ministry of Defence, underscored the need to safeguard defence spectrum against encroachment. Vivek Banzal, director, CFA, BSNL, reflected on operator priorities. Donna Bethea-Murphy, senior vice president, regulatory, Viasat, emphasised the importance of protecting L-band spectrum for emerging services like D2D. Lokesh Kabdal, co-founder and CEO, AeroDome, discussed the evolution of Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) and the imperative for modernisation. Bashir Patel, senior advisor, policy and spectrum, concluded with a global view on the future of mobile satellite services.
Day two began with a plenary where Bharat Bhatia welcomed delegates and outlined the day’s sessions. Isabelle Mauro spoke about D2D potential and hybrid integration. Sanjay Aggarwal, director, DCPW, discussed satellite use in public safety. N. K. Bhola, Director, WMO, addressed D2D policy gaps. Anand Khare, member (Services), DCC, DoT, emphasised convergence between terrestrial and non-terrestrial networks. H. C. Soni, vice president, IAFI, delivered the vote of thanks.
Session 4 of ISPC-25 examined the future of D2D satcom, focusing on spectrum policies, global coordination, and commercial viability. Chaired by Gulab Chand, the session addressed key WRC-27 agenda items related to Mobile Satellite Services (MSS) and non-terrestrial network integration.
Sonali Nanda, deputy director, PMAD, IN-SPACe, emphasised the need for regulatory clarity and harmonised licensing to support private D2D deployments. M. P. S. Alawa, joint wireless advisor, DoT, called for alignment with global spectrum frameworks. Mr. Jitendra Singh, Head of Government Affairs, Qualcomm, highlighted 3GPP standards and chipset readiness for global mobile-satellite interoperability. MMariona Pazos Rovira of Sateliot outlined the growing role of nanosatellite constellations in enabling affordable IoT applications. Chris Woolford, director, Ofcom, UK, offered a European perspective on spectrum coordination and advocated international cooperation. In a panel moderated by Pankaj Sharma, partner, EY, experts including T. R. Dua, chairman, IAFI, and R. S. Singh, DDG (IoT), TEC, discussed India’s leadership potential in D2D, stressing the need for flexible regulation, spectrum efficiency, and interoperability.
Session 5, chaired by Arun Agrawal, DDG (Satellite), DoT, explored how satellite technologies support India’s Viksit Bharat agendaMukesh Kumar, DDG (Radio), TEC, highlighted the role of satellite-terrestrial convergence in universal broadband. H Rayappa of ISRO outlined satellite capacity for civilian use. Sanjay Aggarwal, director, DCPW, discussed satellite applications in disaster response and public safety. Prabhat Dikshit, DDG (SMC), DoT, emphasised satellite’s role in last-mile connectivity. Utpal Bhowmick of Amazon Kuiper presented low-latency NGSO solutions for rural connectivity. Alok Shankar Pandey of DFCCIL explained the integration of satellite systems into logistics and railways.
The conference concluded with an important session on Space Sustainability where Donna Bethea-Murphy, called for global efforts to address orbital debris. H. C. Soni also delivered a presentation emphasising the urgent need to address the growing challenge of orbital debris and highlighted the associated risks it poses to the sustainability of space operations. Bharat Bhatia closed the event, urging continued collaboration to position India as a global leader in space communications. He also thanked partner GSOA and others in making the event a success.
Summing up the conference, Bharat Bhatia said, “India’s space journey is now truly collaborative, inclusive, and globally relevant. With strong policy foundations and accelerating private participation, India is well positioned to lead the satellite revolution in Asia.”
