Reliance Jio is gearing up for a test flight in September 2027 for its 1,600-satellite low Earth orbit (LEO) network, according to sources cited by the Economic Times. This test would kick off Jio’s push to create a homegrown satellite broadband system, with the big goal of bringing internet to parts of India that still don’t have reliable connectivity.
Jio’s taking it step by step. The plan is to launch a handful of satellites first—just enough to make sure the hardware, software, and overall setup all work smoothly before moving forward with a large-scale rollout, which is set for early 2028. They’ve already filed with the International Telecommunications Union to lock in orbital slots. The satellites will fly at 650 km above the Earth, which puts them a bit higher than Starlink and Amazon’s Project Kuiper.
After the first launch, Jio wants to send up about 90 to 100 satellites over two or three quarters. That’s enough for limited coverage, so some parts of India could start getting service as soon as 2028. They’re aiming for 400 to 450 satellites in orbit by 2030 and the full 1,600 by 2035.
Once it’s all up and running, India will have 30 to 32 Jio satellites overhead at any time, with a combined network capacity of 4 to 4.8 terabits per second—the biggest among LEO constellations targeting the country.
Getting there hasn’t been simple. Jio needed the green light from the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe), which came through in July 2026. That was a key step. And on the money front, Jio’s much-anticipated IPO could play a big role. India’s markets regulator approved their draft prospectus at the end of August, setting up a listing that could raise around $3.8 billion. A good chunk of that is set to go towards paying down debt and investing in new tech.
Jio isn’t alone in this space race. Starlink (from Elon Musk) and Eutelsat OneWeb (backed by Bharti) have their own plans, and both already have provisional licenses in India. They’re just waiting for the final spectrum allocation. Jio hasn’t commented on the test flight or its ITU filing, according to the Economic Times.
Underneath the technical details, there’s a bigger picture: Jio’s satellite project fits right into India’s national drive to bring digital services to rural and remote places—places that traditional networks just can’t reach. By building its own LEO constellation, Reliance Jio is working to make India less reliant on foreign satellite providers and giving it more control over vital communications infrastructure.
Jio’s 650 km orbit is a bit of a gamble. It sits higher than Starlink and OneWeb’s constellations, which could affect things like whether customers experience less lag or how complicated the regulatory side gets. Spectrum sharing and avoiding signal interference will be big issues.
Analysts are watching to see not just if Jio can pull off the technology, but whether the government delivers on spectrum allocation and continues to support timely launches while managing orbital debris responsibly.
Here’s a quick look at the roadmap:
– September 2027: Kick off with a small test launch
– Early 2028: Start mass satellite deployment and offer initial services
– By 2030: 400–450 satellites expected to be live
– 2035: Goal to finish the full constellation, all 1,600 satellites
A successful IPO and regulatory clearances put Jio in a strong spot. The company isn’t just chasing profits—it’s aiming to make sure India is a key player in the next generation of global internet infrastructure.
