India, Sept. 11 -- The next phase of India's digital journey may not happen on the ground. A high-stakes competition is underway to beam internet directly from space, aiming to connect millions of people in remote areas untouched by traditional fibre and mobile networks. This is the story of three players, Starlink, Eutelsat OneWeb, and JioSpaceFiber, and their distinct strategies in a battle for dominance over India's digital landscape.

Satellite internet uses a constellation of satellites in space to send and receive data. The three main players in India use different approaches. Starlink and Eutelsat OneWeb rely on Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites. These satellites circle the planet at a much lower altitude than older satellites, sign...