Hughes Communications India Private Limited, a majority-owned subsidiary of US-based Hughes, and Bharti Airtel announced the formation of a joint venture to provide satellite broadband services in India, in a press release on January 5. Hughes will hold a 67 percent stake in the joint venture while Airtel will hold a 33 percent stake, Economic Times reported. What is the purpose of the joint venture? Hughes is a major global player in satellite internet space and its Indian arm is the largest satellite internet operator in the country, serving most parts of Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep. With the joint venture, the companies are looking to: Combine VSAT operations: The two firms will combine their Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) operations to offer satellite and hybrid network solutions to business and government customers, the release said. The combined base of the joint venture is over 200,000 VSATs, making the company the largest satellite service operator in India. "HCIPL provides broadband networking technologies, solutions and services, including a full range of managed network services, for government offices and enterprises across segments like banking, aeronautical and maritime mobility, small to medium sized businesses, education, and telecom backhaul, among others," the press release stated. Offer Bharti-OneWeb's upcoming service: According to the Economic Times, the joint venture will also be the distributor of Bharti-backed OneWeb’s upcoming satellite broadband services in India. In September 2021, OneWeb and Hughes announced that they will provide satellite broadband in rural and remote parts of India from May 2022. Hughes, through its parent company EchoStar, is…
