According to an advisory released by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) on August 04, 2025, the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe) has withdrawn its approval for utilising satellite capacity from Asia Satellite Telecommunications Company’s (AsiaSat) AS-5 and AS-7 satellites in India beyond March 31, 2026.
While no official explanation has been provided by the government for revoking the IN-SPACe authorisation, it is reported that the decision arises from apprehensions regarding the company’s notable Chinese ownership.
Currently, broadcasters including JioStar and Zee Entertainment make use of these AsiaSat satellites to transmit their television channels. Further, it was reported that the broadcasters are actively transitioning to government-approved satellites, such as geo-stationary satellite (GSAT) and international telecommunications satellite organisation (Intelsat).
AsiaSat presently manages six operational satellites namely, AsiaSat 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 along with the related teleport facilities. The decision to block access to AS-5 and AS-7 reflects India’s strategic realignment of its satellite communication policies with national security and self-reliance objectives.
Additionally, IN-SPACe, through a communication dated July 21, 2025, acknowledged that Inorbit Space Telecommunications had received approval to offer capacity on AS-5 and AS-7 only until March 2026. Beyond this, these satellites will be disallowed from providing communication services within Indian territory.
