India bars China-linked satellites from offering services
Change
India barred China-linked satellite operators from offering any services in India effective April 1, 2026, and granted Hong Kong-based AsiaSat a limited authorisation extension until June 30, 2026 for international downlink-only channels and occasional use.
Why it matters
Broadcasters and satellite service buyers are no longer permitted to source transmission capacity from China-linked operators and must migrate their uplink/downlink arrangements to operators authorised by the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Center (IN-SPACe) — India's space industry regulator. The action removes the option to renew authorisations for the affected China-linked satellites beyond current temporary allowances, narrowing providers available for Indian broadcasting distribution.
Implications
- • Broadcast engineering and transmission procurement teams at Indian broadcasters must migrate all live feeds and carriage links to IN-SPACe-approved satellites to maintain lawful on-air distribution — continuing to use China-linked capacity will render those links unauthorised.
- • Contract managers and legal teams at broadcasters and platform operators must renegotiate, reassign, or terminate capacity contracts that rely on AsiaSat, Chinasat, or ApStar and secure alternative capacity before the AsiaSat extension lapses on June 30, 2026 — failing to do so will leave contracted services without regulatory authorisation.
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