Bharti Space Ltd, part of Bharti Enterprises, will invest €31.4 million (approximately ₹312.8 crore) in France-based satellite firm Eutelsat, as part of the latter’s broader capital-raising effort aimed at securing €1.35 billion (₹13,452 crore) from multiple investors. Eutelsat plans to raise the funds through a two-part transaction: a reserved capital increase of €716 million (₹7,134 crore) at €4 per share—a premium of over 32%—and a rights issue of €634 million (₹6,317 crore), which is expected to conclude by the end of 2025.
After the transactions, Bharti Space’s ownership in Eutelsat will fall from 24% to 18.7%. The French government will become the largest shareholder with a 29.99% stake, while shipping company CMA CGM and France’s Strategic Participation Fund (FSP) will hold 7.81% and 5.22% respectively. The structure of the investment rules out a public takeover by any of the participating investors.
Sunil Bharti Mittal, Chairman of Bharti Enterprises and Co-Chairman of Eutelsat Group, highlighted the strategic importance of a new long-term contract with the French Defence Procurement Agency (DGA), stating “We are pleased with the French armed forces entering a €1 billion agreement to reserve capacity on Eutelsat’s OneWeb low-earth orbit network for key defence needs.”
Eutelsat CEO Jean-François Fallacher welcomed the capital infusion, describing it as essential for the company’s future plans “This funding ensures we can move forward with our strategic agenda. We appreciate the confidence shown by our core shareholders—the French State, Bharti, CMA CGM, and FSP.”
The proposed funding will be subject to shareholder approval, with an Extraordinary General Meeting scheduled toward the end of Q3 2025. The Eutelsat board has already backed the plan unanimously, and investors involved in the reserved capital increase have committed to supporting the move and maintaining their shares through the rights issue.
Eutelsat is one of only two companies globally operating a commercial low-earth orbit (LEO) satellite network. Since acquiring OneWeb, the company has expanded service coverage and secured key market access. It currently holds a revenue backlog of €3.7 billion, primarily from connectivity services.
As the only European operator with an active LEO network focused entirely on business and government users, Eutelsat plays a central role in providing secure communications for defence and state agencies. The company’s activities align with broader EU and NATO goals related to digital infrastructure and security autonomy.
