Uttar Pradesh’s state-backed broadband initiative Project GANGA has switched on its first consumer networks under the GangaFiber brand. Plans start at ₹399 a month for 50 Mbps. The rollout relies on an unusual workforce. Locally recruited Digital Service Providers, financed by state loans, build last-mile fibre in their own neighborhoods.
Over 3,000 DSP applications have arrived since Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath launched the project in June 2026. More than 600 shortlisted candidates have completed training by OneOTT Intertainment, the Hinduja Group’s broadband arm. Networks funded through the state’s CM-YUVA loan scheme are now live. OIL says the trained cohort can connect up to 150,000 homes.
The ambition is much larger. Project GANGA targets 20 lakh households over two to three years through 8,000–10,000 DSPs at the Nyaya Panchayat level. The first phase covers 21 districts. Each DSP is expected to connect 200 to 300 households. The programme aims to create over one lakh direct and indirect jobs, and targets roughly half women among its entrepreneurs.
The model underneath
The State Transformation Commission runs Project GANGA, short for Government Assisted Network for Growth and Advancement. OIL serves as knowledge partner and implementation enabler, on a “no profit, no loss” basis as described at the June launch.
The financial engine is the CM-YUVA scheme, which offers youth interest-free loans of up to ₹5 lakh. A DSP uses that capital to build a local fibre network, then earns revenue from the connections it services. The model converts state subsidy into micro-entrepreneurship rather than paying a contractor to lay cable.
OIL brings scale to the partnership. The company and its affiliates connect more than five million homes across India and operate in 4,500 pin codes. They manage over two lakh kilometres of fibre with 15,000-plus franchise partners.
The pricing math
At ₹399 for 50 Mbps, GangaFiber’s entry plan is cheap for the speed — but not uniquely cheap. Jio’s entry broadband plan is also ₹399, at 30 Mbps. Airtel’s starts at ₹499 for 40 Mbps, and BSNL’s rural fibre plans include a ₹399 tier at 40 Mbps.
The steeper undercut sits at the top end. GangaFiber’s 1 Gbps plan costs ₹1,179 a month, including over 100 TV channels and 13 OTT platforms. Jio and Airtel both price their 1 Gbps plans near ₹3,999. Whether the gap survives depends on GangaFiber’s data caps, installation charges, and service quality. The release does not list those terms.
What to watch
The progress numbers are early but testable. Six hundred trained DSPs against a target of 8,000–10,000, four months in, leaves a long road to the 20-lakh-home goal. India’s rural broadband record is cautionary. BharatNet spent years and thousands of crores connecting gram panchayats, yet last-mile usage lagged far behind.
The open question is DSP economics. A ₹5 lakh loan, 200–300 homes at budget pricing, and rural maintenance costs make for a thin margin. The government is betting entrepreneurs treat broadband as a durable local business. The first 600 are the test.
Editor’s Note
This news item draws on a press release dated September 29, 2026 from OneOTT Intertainment. TechRecast independently verified the June 2026 launch, targets, and CM-YUVA loan details from coverage by PTI, The Hindu, Hindustan Times, and others. Competitive pricing comes from Jio, Airtel, and BSNL plan listings. OIL’s infrastructure footprint comes from the company’s March and June 2026 releases.
Application counts, training figures, and the 150,000-home potential are government and company claims. OIL’s “no profit, no loss” role is as described at the official launch.