The Republic of India has urged the U.S. Supreme Court to uphold a Ninth Circuit ruling that denied enforcement of a $1.3 billion telecom award against the commercial arm of its space agency, Antrix Corp. In a Friday brief, India argued that the lower court wrongly asserted that the government controlled Antrix, leading to a baseless legal ruling.
The dispute stems from a failed satellite lease agreement between Antrix and Devas Multimedia Pvt. Ltd. India emphasized that the contract never involved the United States but warned that the case could set a troubling precedent regarding due process for foreign states in U.S. courts.
India Challenges Lower Court’s Jurisdiction
A Washington federal judge had previously ruled in favor of Devas, allowing it to enforce the $1.3 billion telecom award against Antrix and seize assets in Virginia. However, the Ninth Circuit overturned that decision in 2023, ruling that the lower court lacked jurisdiction since Antrix had not purposefully engaged in business within the United States.
