The Indian Navy is moving to replace its ageing shipborne satellite communication terminals with indigenous systems as it transitions to its new dedicated communication satellite, GSAT-7R, also known as CMS-03. The initiative is aimed at strengthening secure communications and information-sharing among naval platforms operating across the Indian Ocean Region.
The Navy has floated an Expression of Interest (EoI) under the Make-II category of the Defence Acquisition Procedure for the development of ship-based C- and Ku-band satellite communication terminals. The proposed systems will be known as Rukmini Terminals and are intended to replace the Navy’s existing legacy terminals.
The existing shipborne satellite communication systems are more than 10-12 years old. They were originally sourced from Israel and are currently maintained by Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL). According to the details of the requirement, the ageing systems are facing product-support issues and slow data-transfer rates, creating the need for updated communication terminals.
The move is linked to the Navy’s transition from GSAT-7 Rukmini, which was launched in 2013, to GSAT-7R. The new satellite was launched aboard ISRO’s LVM3-M5 in November 2025 and is designed to provide secure communication services for the Indian Navy across the Indian Ocean Region.
GSAT-7R, weighing about 4,400 kg, is designed to enable ships, submarines, aircraft and Maritime Operations Centres to exchange voice, data and video through the satellite. The communication architecture will use C, extended C and Ku-band frequencies.
The satellite has a footprint of approximately 2,000 nautical miles, or around 3,500 km, enabling naval platforms to maintain communications across a wide maritime area. The proposed Rukmini terminals are intended to provide shipborne assets with communication systems compatible with this dedicated satellite network.
The development of the new terminals is being pursued under the Make-II category of the Defence Acquisition Procedure. Under this framework, the participating industry is responsible for funding the development of the prototype, with no government funding provided for prototype development.
The proposed system is required to have a minimum of 50 per cent indigenous content in hardware and embedded software. The project has currently been reserved for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), while startups and consortiums comprising up to five members are also eligible to participate.
The initiative is expected to provide Indian defence technology companies and smaller enterprises with an opportunity to develop and demonstrate indigenous capabilities in shipborne satellite communications. It also forms part of the Navy’s broader push towards greater self-reliance in defence technology.
The Rukmini satellite communication network forms an important component of the Navy’s network-centric warfare capability. It allows widely dispersed naval assets to remain connected and share operational information through a common communication network.
The capability was first demonstrated during naval exercise TROPEX 2014, when approximately 60 warships and 75 aircraft were linked through the Rukmini network into a single shared operational picture.
Such connectivity enables information gathered by one naval platform to be made available to other units operating as part of the network. In such an architecture, one naval asset can potentially function as a sensor while another can act as the shooter, with information shared across connected platforms.
The proposed indigenous Rukmini terminals are therefore intended to support the Navy’s communication infrastructure as it transitions to GSAT-7R. Their development is aimed at replacing the existing legacy systems while providing updated satellite communication capabilities for naval platforms.
The new terminals will be designed for ship-based operations and will support connectivity through C- and Ku-band frequencies. Their intended role includes enabling secure communication and information-sharing between ships, submarines, aircraft and Maritime Operations Centres.
The transition also comes alongside the Navy’s wider Aatmanirbharta effort, which includes the induction of indigenous warships and the deployment of the domestically developed CMS-03 satellite.
For naval forces operating far from shore, reliable satellite communication remains essential for maintaining connectivity across dispersed maritime assets. The proposed Rukmini terminals are intended to support this requirement by enabling voice, data and video connectivity through the Navy’s dedicated satellite communication network.
The replacement of the ageing terminals with systems incorporating at least 50 per cent indigenous hardware and embedded software content also represents an effort to increase domestic participation in a specialised area of naval communications.
As the Navy transitions to GSAT-7R, the proposed Rukmini terminals are expected to form part of the shipborne communication infrastructure connecting naval platforms and Maritime Operations Centres across the Indian Ocean Region. The project will also provide Indian MSMEs, startups and eligible industry consortiums an opportunity to develop indigenous satellite communication technology for naval applications.
