Bengaluru, Jan. 2 -- India will launch a heavy communication satellite Gsat-30 on January 17 from Kourou space centre in French Guiana on board an Ariane-5 rocket of the European Space Agency (Arianespace), ISRO chief K. Sivan said on Wednesday.

"The launch of Gsat-30 from Kouru will be our first satellite in the New Year (2020) to augment capacity to provide communication links to state-run and private service providers," the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chairman told reporters here.

The Paris-based Arianespace launched the space agency's Gsat-31 on February 6, 2019, with 1-2K bus structure to provide communication services from geo-stationary orbit in Ku-band for 15 years.

Sivan also said: "We are planning to have 25 launc...