With the Government of India opening up the sector for private players, various stakeholders from the satellite communication ecosystem, including satellite operators, launch vehicles, equipment manufacturers and application solutions providers, on Tuesday came together to form a not-for-profit industry body — SiA-India — to represent the sector’s interests.
SiA-India, in a statement said, it aims to present the industry's interest to the highest government levels for policy-making and regulatory and licensing matters.
Speaking on the launch, V.K. Saraswat, member, NITI Aayog said, “Over the last few years satellite communication has emerged as one of the technologies to address issues related to providing connectivity to rural, remote and hilly areas...We hope SiA-India play its role as a unified voice for satellite communication industry and help in implementation of the policies. We from NITI Aayog look forward to this new association fulfilling its promise to the industry.”
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Malcolm Johnson, Deputy Secretary General, The International Telecommunication Union (ITU), said the announcement of the industry body comes at a time when there is an ever increasing number of satellites being deployed around the world and an increasing demand for the valuable spectrum and orbital resources.
“Satellites help save lives in emergencies, provide critical knowledge about our planet and climate, and enable a range of solutions for digital, financial services, better healthcare and smarter cities... Big opportunities lie ahead for the industry, including connecting the unconnected, especially in rural areas,” Mr. Johnson said.
Subba Rao Pavuluri, chairman & MD at aerospace firm Ananth Technologies, is the first president of SiA-India. Initial members of the body include Ananth Technologies, Aniara, Jaat Veda International (JV International) and Methera Global.
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