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New Delhi: The government is considering relaxing some security conditions for granting satellite communication licences, making them more aligned with global practices, said officials aware of the development. This could pave the way for grant of permits to the likes of Elon Musk's Starlink and Jeff Bezos-led Amazon Kuiper to offer telecommunication services in India using satellites.The move comes amid signs of increasing cooperation between Musk and the Indian establishment. Recently, Musk-owned SpaceX launched the GSAT-20, the Indian Space Research Organisation's (Isro) communications satellite, from Cape Canaveral in Florida, US.Satcom companies wanting to operate in India currently need to comply with 30-40 conditions, officials said.115875476 Starlink, Amazon Kuiper Applications Pending They can then get permission to provide services under the Global Mobile Personal Communication by Satellite (GMPCS) system, officials said. A few of these could be relaxed."The idea is to make the conditions more relevant with changing technology, as global constellations offer services across the world," said an official privy to details. It was not immediately clear which specific conditions could be relaxed.Another official said law enforcement and Department of Telecommunications (DoT) officers deliberated on the issue and what changes should be made to security conditions, at a meeting on November 29.Applications to get a GMPCS licence of both Starlink and Amazon are yet to be cleared, pending compliance of some security clauses. Starlink earlier told the government that satcom rules should be aligned with global regulations as the services are offered across the world.A third official said the matter would be discussed at length before a final call is made, as it involves national security.The government is soon expected to call a meeting with satcom players who have either applied or got a GMPCS licence. So far, Bharti Enterprises-backed Eutelsat Oneweb and Reliance Jio's joint venture with Luxembourg-based satellite provider SES have got approval to offer satcom services in India.Last month, telecom minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said Starlink was in the process of applying for security clearances. "They have to comply with all the rules to get the licence. You have to look at it from a security perspective too. We are more than happy to grant a license as long as they comply with all the conditions," the minister had said.A few months ago, DoT asked both Starlink and Amazon Kuiper to meet security-related conditions so their applications could be processed further. Both Starlink and Amazon are yet to respond to DoT on the matter.Officials said that while Starlink had privately agreed to various licence-related conditions, there are a few which are yet to be ticked.Divided FieldThe development comes amid a fierce ongoing battle pitching global satcom firms Starlink and Amazon Kuiper against India's private telecom operators - Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea - over the mode of allocation and pricing of spectrum to support broadband-from-space services.India's top telcos are seeking equal treatment of telecom and satcom services. The telcos, which had bought airwaves through auctions paying billions of dollars, have sought a level playing field and urged the telecom regulator to permit only auctioned satellite spectrum for satcom companies to service urban or 'retail' consumers. The government, though, has made it clear that satcom spectrum will be allocated administratively, or without auctions, but for a charge.At stake is a share of the country's space economy that has the potential to hit $44 billion by 2033, and account for about 8% of the global share from around 2% now, according to India's space sector regulator, IN-SPACe.

Tata Sons chairman N Chandrasekaran has urged group company CEOs to aggressively pursue growth despite mounting uncertainties in domestic and global markets, said executives with knowledge of the matter. In internal strategy sessions and business reviews, Chandrasekaran has emphasised boldness in ambition, stating that while margins can be adjusted over time, growth opportunities must be seized immediately, the executives told ET.He has set ambitious revenue targets with adequate capital allocation in place, they added.Tata Sons is the holding company of the $375 billion Tata Group. 115875457The Tata Sons chairman is focused on ensuring that the group remains resilient in an increasingly competitive landscape, according to the persons cited."While some quarters may pose challenges, he has emphasised the importance of seizing significant growth opportunities in each sector with a long-term vision," one of them said. 115865358Tata Sons did not comment. "Our chairman is clear that cyclical quarters can be no excuses and that the goal has to be scalable profitable growth," a top executive said.This comes against the backdrop of more than 15 group units, including Tata Consultancy Services, Tata Motors, Tata Steel and Tata Power, reporting single-digit growth in revenue in the first half of FY25 while profit slowed at an equal number of companies.After a stellar rally over the past three years, Tata Group stocks have underperformed the benchmark since the start of the current fiscal year due to weaker-than-expected results from some of the larger companies. The group's market capitalisation has risen by just 5% compared with the Nifty's 8% gain in the same period. Key stocks, including Tata Motors, Titan, Tata Elxsi, Tata Communications, Tata Consumer and Tata Steel, have recorded declines ranging from 7% to 20%.India Inc has been staring at bleak consumption trends as the urban middle class faces mounting financial pressure with wages falling for the first time since the pandemic, inflation soaring and household spending slowing. Private consumption, which accounts for nearly 60% of GDP, has weakened significantly, with personal final consumption expenditure (PFCE) having fallen to 55.8% of GDP in FY24, down from 58.1% in FY22.The listed firms of the Tata Group reported a 4% year-on-year growth in revenue for the six months ended September. Overall profit surged 37% to Rs 43,171 crore from Rs 31,461 crore in the year earlier. However, on a sequential basis, revenue and profit declined by 2% and 23%, respectively. In the half year ended March, the group had reported a net profit of Rs 58,847 crore.Profit margins narrowed to 7.7% in the first half from 9.78% in the preceding six-month period, but improved from 5.68% in the first half of FY24.Tata Motors saw a mere 1% year-on-year growth in revenue for the six months ended September, primarily due to a decline in Jaguar Land Rover's business and weaker performance in the domestic commercial vehicle segment.Flagship Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) reported modest numbers in the first half with 6% growth in revenue and profit from the year earlier, primarily due to weakness in the Americas and the life sciences & healthcare and communications, and media & technology verticals. The company noted that clients remain focused on efficiency, emphasising cost-transformation initiatives. Interest in discretionary projects with low, short-term return on investment (RoI) remains subdued.Tata Group-owned lifestyle products retailer Titan reported a 15% decline in net profit for the first half mainly due to the impact of customs duty reduction while the margin contracted, primarily led by weak demand in high-value solitaire jewellery and heightened demand for gold coins.Tata Chemicals saw first-half profit drop to Rs 457 crore from Rs 1,082 crore in the year earlier.The group has high expectations for Tata Electronics, Air India and Tata Digital, which are in the "building-up" phase to gain in scale and turn into financially strong businesses over the next three years. The holding company's mandate is that they should be among the Tata Group's top 10 businesses in the next three years. The biggest investments in 2024 have gone into these three units besides battery manufacturing. The total investment committed across businesses, estimated at $90 billion currently, will exceed $120 billion in the next five years.

US President-elect Donald Trump’s statement to BRICS countries to impose 100% customs duties if the group would replace the US dollar is unrealistic, and India should focus on developing a workable local currency trading system, think tank GTRI said Sunday.It said that the tariffs of this scale would harm the American consumers only as it would push prices on imports, disrupt global trade, and risk retaliation from key trading partners.“Trump’s threat to impose 100% tariffs on countries adopting a BRICS currency is unrealistic and more symbolic than practical. For India, the prudent approach is to focus on making local currency trading workable by establishing a transparent and open currency exchange,” saidGTRI Founder Ajay Srivastava.Emphasising that it is the actions of the US that have pushed many countries to seek alternatives to the US dollar, GTRI said: “The US has a history of leveraging its influence over global financial systems, such as the SWIFT network, to impose unilateral sanctions”.India’s best interests lie neither in the domination of the US dollar nor in fully adopting a BRICS currency at this stage, Srivastava noted, adding that no single country, including the US, can unilaterally dictate global economic policies without facing repercussions.