The EDUSAT Pilot Project in Karnataka was inaugurated by Chief Minister of Karnataka,
Mr S M Krishna, on January 28, 2004, at a function organised at the ISRO Satellite Centre, Bangalore. This pilot project forms part of the first phase of the EDUSAT programme.

With the objective of establishing a satellite-based distance education service in the country, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will be launching EDUSAT, an exclusive satellite for educational services. EDUSAT will be launched by India's Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle, GSLV, in 2004. This satellite will be mainly utilised to demonstrate the concept of multicasting interactive multimedia for the educational sector and will, thus, act as a precursor to the future operational EDUSAT system.

EDUSAT is specially configured to have multiple beams covering different regions of India. The satellite will have a Ku-band transponder with its footprint covering the Indian mainland region. Another five Ku-band transponders will provide spot beams directed towards northern, north-eastern, eastern, southern and western regions of India.