Hughes Communications India Ltd, (HCIL), a majority-owned subsidiary of Hughes Network Systems, LLC (HUGHES) and Bharti Airtel Limited (“Airtel”) have announced an agreement to combine their Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) operations in India.
The combined entity will bring greater scale, operational efficiencies and market reach to serve India with secure and reliable broadband satellite and hybrid solutions for enterprise and government networks. Hughes and its subsidiaries will maintain majority ownership in HCIL, the surviving entity, and Airtel will have a significant shareholding.
The largest satellite service operator in India, HCIL provides broadband networking technologies, solutions, and services for businesses, governments. Airtel is a significant VSAT service provider in India, offering satellite connectivity to unreachable terrains and helping businesses supplement their terrestrial networks with satellite for primary and backup connectivity.
The combined entity will be positioned to introduce new VSAT and related technologies to deliver a wide range of quality products and services. HCIL will continue to serve existing HCIL and Airtel customers while focusing on serving the growing networking needs of enterprise and government customers in India.