In a strategic move that underscores India’s growing ambition in the satellite internet race, Bharti Space — the space-tech arm of Bharti Enterprises — has committed an additional ₹1,204 crore (€150 million) to French satellite giant Eutelsat.
The fresh investment comes as part of Eutelsat’s €1.5 billion capital raise, intended to refinance debt and accelerate the rollout of its next-gen constellations, including the much-anticipated IRIS² project. This isn’t Bharti’s first bet on Eutelsat — it adds to a prior €30 million commitment, reaffirming the group’s long-term belief in the future of global connectivity.
The move is timely. With competitors like SpaceX’s Starlink expanding aggressively, the race for satellite broadband dominance is heating up. Bharti’s increasing stake — which will now sit at 17.8% post-issue — signals a deeper play in owning the pipes of tomorrow’s internet.
Backed by the French and UK governments, Eutelsat is among the few players with both LEO and GEO capabilities, putting it in a unique position to bridge underserved regions — including rural India.
Sunil Bharti Mittal, Chairman of Bharti Enterprises and Co-Chairman at Eutelsat Group, emphasized the critical role of space-based infrastructure in enabling secure, resilient, and borderless digital access.
As India pushes forward in deeptech, semiconductors, and strategic connectivity, Bharti’s quiet capital move sends a loud message: India is not just a consumer of satellite internet — it’s becoming a key architect.
Stay tuned as the orbit of India’s startup space sector continues to rise.
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