India Ends Asiasat Services Beyond Borders By Prajila

In a decision with strong geopolitical undertones, the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (MIB) has ordered all Indian broadcasters to discontinue the use of Asiasat-5 and Asiasat-7 satellite services by March 31, 2026. The move effectively ends China’s satellite footprint in India’s broadcasting sector and reflects New Delhi’s deepening strategic caution towards Beijing.

The directive, issued under India’s Uplinking and Downlinking Guidelines, ensures that no satellite capacity from Asiasat will be provisioned or sold in India from April 1, 2026. This policy shift directly impacts major Indian and global broadcasters operating on Chinese-owned satellites, including Colors TV, Zee Entertainment, ABP, BBC World, Star, and Warner Bros. Discovery channels.

At the heart of the decision lies national security. Asiasat’s key stakeholders include the Chinese state-owned CITIC Group Corporation and Carlyle Asia Partners IV, LP, granting Beijing substantial influence over a communications infrastructure critical to India’s media and information ecosystem. By terminating authorisation through IN-SPACe, the Indian government is effectively closing a strategic vulnerability in its space and media architecture.

The timing is significant. While India and China have recently found common ground in opposing U.S. tariffs, their relationship still carries the weight of unresolved border tensions and deep strategic mistrust. By ending reliance on Chinese-origin satellite services, New Delhi signals that cooperation with Beijing in trade does not extend to sensitive domains such as telecommunications, space, and media infrastructure. This is less about immediate hostility and more about a calibrated policy of risk reduction — ensuring India’s critical information flows remain insulated from external vulnerabilities.

From an international relations standpoint, the move also signals India’s intent to strengthen its
strategic autonomy in the digital and satellite domain. By cutting Chinese access, India aligns with global efforts—led by the United States, Japan, and European partners—to curb Beijing’s control over critical communications infrastructure.

For the broadcasting industry, the implications are profound. Indian conglomerates like Network18 and Zee Media Corporation must now migrate to alternative satellites, potentially strengthening partnerships with Western, Indian, or allied Asian satellite providers. This opens the door for greater collaboration with India’s own space sector, as well as global players aligned with India’s geopolitical priorities.

Ultimately, the Asiasat decision reflects more than a regulatory shift—it represents India’s geopolitical assertion in the information and space domain, reinforcing its position as a regional power seeking to insulate its media, security, and digital infrastructure from Chinese influence.