MUMBAI:  India's space regulator, The Indian National Space Promotion & Authorisation Centre (In-Space),  has granted a six-month extension for foreign satellites to continue providing communication and broadcasting services in India without formal authorisation.

In-Space announced on Monday that foreign satellite operators now have until 30 September to obtain regulatory approval, extending the previous 31 March deadline.

The decision follows concerns that popular television channels including Star, Zee and Sony could face service disruptions from 1 April if the authorisation process remained unchanged.

"The cut-off date for continuation of the provisioning of existing non-Indian satellites capacity and the associated lease contracts has been extended to 30 September 2025," In-Space stated in its announcement.

Existing lease agreements set to expire during this period may be extended until the new deadline using current processes. However, the regulator emphasised that any new foreign satellites or additional capacity from existing satellites will require immediate In-Space authorisation.

From 1 October, only foreign satellites with proper authorisation will be permitted to provide capacity in India across all frequency bands.

The extension primarily benefits existing satellite arrangements, including those operating through lease agreements with New Space India Ltd (NSIL)/Antrix or through direct C-Band capacity leases from non-Indian operators.