Singapore-based telecom firm Singtel has sought approval for FDI to sell satellite bandwidth for direct-to-home services in India, industry sources said. The company has been selling satellite bandwidth to Dish TV indirectly through NewSpace India Ltd.
“Singtel has applied for foreign direct investment approvals to sell satellite bandwidth directly to DTH providers in India,” an industry source said, according to a PTI report from New Delhi yesterday.

The move will allow Singtel, which has been operating in India for more than a decade, to sell bandwidth directly to clients instead of providing it through public sector space firm NewSpace India Ltd.
When contacted, a Singtel spokesperson, without naming Dish TV, said that it has been providing satellite capacity to a DTH (direct-to-home) service provider in India for over 15 years through a designated Indian government agency, in accordance with regulatory requirements.
“Following recent changes to India’s space policy that allow greater private sector participation, we are seeking the necessary approvals from the relevant Indian authorities to enable our Indian subsidiary, Singapore Telecom India Private Ltd, to continue providing satellite capacity directly to them,” the spokesperson said.
Dish TV, on the development, said, “Dish TV had welcomed the policy of the government to allow satellite operators to deal with DTH operators directly and hopes that the necessary approvals, as per due procedure, are obtained by Singtel.”