Top

Govt studying ISRO-Devas order before filing appeal at Hague

Last month, an international tribunal ruled that Indian govt had acted unfairly and inequitably in cancelling Antrix-Devas deal.

New Delhi: The government is studying the Hague tribunal's orders on Antrix-Devas deal and will file appeal against the verdict at an "appropriate time" in the international tribunal, ISRO Chairman said on Tuesday.

Last month, India had lost the arbitration case in a Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) tribunal based in the Hague over its space marketing PSU Antrix Corp annulling a contract with Bengaluru-based private multimedia firm Devas.

The tribunal ruled that the Indian government had acted "unfairly" and "inequitably" in cancelling the contract involving use of two satellites and spectrum.

"We are studying the court orders and will file appeal against the PCA tribunal at appropriate time. The appeal will be filed in the," ISRO Chairman and Secretary in Department of Space A S Kirankumar said.

The tribunal had found that the Indian government's actions in annulling the contract and denying Devas commercial use of S-band spectrum constituted an "expropriation".

Under the deal signed in 2005, Antrix was to provide 70 MHz of the scarce S-Band wavelength to Devas for its digital multimedia services by leasing 90 per cent of the transponders in ISROs GSAT-6 and GSAT-6A satellites. Devas, in turn, was to pay Antrix a total of USD 300 million over 12 years.

( Source : PTI )
Next Story