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Gilat Satellite Networks claims India’s leading VSAT provider status
Gilat Satellite Networks Ltd. has announced it has expanded its business operations in India and is now India’s leading VSAT provider.
The company provides satellite-based, end-to-end enterprise networking and rural telephony solutions to customers across six continents, and markets interactive broadband data services, an official release says.
According to the May 2002 issue of India’s Voice & Data magazine, Gilat captured nearly 70 per cent of the market for Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) VSATs for the period April 2001 through March 2002.
Bharti Broadband Networks was the first company in India to choose the 360E platform and eventually established for its client Sahara India one of the largest shared hub systems in Indian VSAT history, the release says. Within the past several months, Bharti Broadband Networks has secured orders for more than 3,000, 360E VSATs – including 1,420 sites for Sahara India alone.
Through the two-way VSAT network Sahara India expects to expand the scope of applications to Internet access, tele-education and news gathering. The VSAT network is crucial to Sahara India’s plans to launch a national news channel and 37 independent city-based regional news stations in the next few months.
Earlier this year, Bharti Broadband launched its Skymantra-Power Internet service – based on the 360E platform – for the corporate, small-to-medium enterprise (SME) and small office-home office (SOHO) markets.
Bharti Broadband CEO Ashok Juneja said: “Indian businesses now have access to extremely robust and scalable technology that provides the true broadband experience, regardless of geographic location. That is where our Skymantra-Power Internet service excels.”
In the most recent new-contract development, Gilat has been selected by HCL Comnet to provide a 360E satellite hub station and 500 VSAT terminals. HCL Comnet has also completed the deployment of a nationwide, 600-site broadband satellite communications network for the State Bank of India.
Comsat Max, another long-standing customer of Gilat in India, chose the 360E platform in October 2001 and has already purchased 1,000 units.
Erez Antebi, Gilat’s general manager for Asia, Africa and Pacific Rim, said: “India continues to fulfill its promise as one of the world’s fastest-growing markets for VSAT technology. With the acquisition of the 360E platform by three major VSAT service providers in India, we have completed our consolidation of the TDMA segment in the country.”
News Broadcasting
Kamlesh Singh receives Haldi Ghati Award from MMCF
India Today Group editor honoured for three decades of journalism at Udaipur ceremony.
MUMBAI- Kamlesh Singh just turned a lifetime of sharp words into a shiny shield because when journalism wakes up a society, even the Maharana of Mewar wants to pin a medal on it.
The Maharana of Mewar Charitable Foundation (MMCF) conferred its prestigious Haldi Ghati Award on Kamlesh Singh, a senior editor at the India Today Group, during a ceremony in Udaipur on 15 March 2026. The national award, instituted in 1981-82, recognises “work of permanent value that initiates an awakening in society through the medium of journalism.”
Singh, who leads several editorial initiatives including Aaj Tak Radio, the Teen Taal community and The Lallantop, was presented the honour by Lakshyaraj Singh Mewar, Managing Trustee of MMCF. The citation highlighted his three decades of contributions to Indian media, innovations in digital journalism, mentoring young reporters, and his popular podcast persona “Tau” on Teen Taal, which fosters thoughtful public discourse.
The Haldi Ghati Award, named after the historic Battle of Haldighati symbolising valour and resilience, is one of four national awards given annually by MMCF. Past recipients include Tavleen Singh, Piyush Pandey and Raj Chengappa.
Other honourees this year included Padma Vibhushan Pt Hari Prasad Chaurasia, Vedamurti Devvrat Rekhe, Treeman of India Marimuthu Yoganathan, Vir Chakra Capt Rizwan Malik, and US-based researcher Molly Emma Aitken, who received the Colonel James Tod Award for contributions to understanding Mewar’s spirit and values.
In an era where headlines often shout louder than substance, the MMCF quietly reminded everyone that real journalism isn’t about noise, it’s about the quiet, persistent work that stirs society awake, one thoughtful story at a time.
