‘Project GANGA’ to expand employment opportunities, high speed internet to reach every village

MoU signed between the State Transformation Commission and One OTT Entertainment Limited, a company of the Hinduja Group

Broadband connectivity to reach 20 lakh homes, more than 100,000 direct and indirect employment opportunities to be created

8,000 to 10,000 local youth in rural areas to get an opportunity to become digital entrepreneurs, 50% opportunities reserved for women

High speed internet in villages will provide new opportunities in online business, education and healthcare services: Suresh Kumar Khanna

Digital services will expand in rural areas and women entrepreneurship will also get a boost

Lucknow, March 2026 : Under the leadership of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, the Uttar Pradesh government is taking important initiatives to promote employment generation along with digital connectivity. In this direction, an MoU was signed between the State Transformation Commission and One OTT Entertainment Limited, a subsidiary of the Hinduja Group, to expand high speed broadband connectivity in the state under ‘Project GANGA’.

Under this project, the target has been set to provide high speed internet connectivity to more than 20 lakh homes over the next 2-3 years. At the same time, 8,000 to 10,000 local youth at the Nyaya Panchayat level will be developed as digital service providers.

Around 50% participation of women is planned in this initiative, which will not only expand digital services in rural areas but will also create new opportunities for local employment and entrepreneurship. In addition, the project aims to generate more than 100,000 direct and indirect employment opportunities.

Addressing the program, Finance and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Suresh Kumar Khanna said, ‘This MoU is an important step towards strengthening digital infrastructure in Uttar Pradesh while creating large scale employment opportunities. Earlier, due to lagging behind in technology, India was often viewed as a developing country, but the transformation witnessed over the last decade, especially in Uttar Pradesh, has changed the global perception’.

He added, biggest need today is to create more employment opportunities, and when employment is generated through technology it becomes more effective and sustainable. Under Project GANGA (Government Assisted Network for Growth and Advancement), the target is to provide high speed broadband connectivity to around 20 lakh homes, benefiting nearly 1 crore people.
He continues by saying, in addition, 8,000 to 10,000 youth will be trained as digital service providers and connected with employment, while women’s participation will also be given special priority.

The Finance Minister also said, ‘The availability of high speed internet in rural areas will open new opportunities in digital services, online business, education and healthcare. Under the leadership of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, the government is continuously working to ensure that broadband facilities reach every village and that youth receive technology based employment opportunities’.

To connect youth with digital entrepreneurship, the government is also providing financial assistance. Under a scheme launched in January 2024, youth are being provided loans of up to ₹5 lakh without interest and without guarantee. More than 100,000 people have already benefited from this initiative.

He also urged that the Hindi language should be given an important place on digital platforms so that more people in the state can connect with it. Finance Minister expressed confidence that within the next 2-3 years, Project GANGA will become a strong foundation for digital empowerment and employment generation in Uttar Pradesh.

CEO of the State Transformation Commission Manoj Kumar Singh said, ‘In the present era, the importance of digital infrastructure and digital highways has, in many ways, become greater than that of physical expressways because they are shaping the new direction of development. This MoU is an important step towards reducing the digital divide and the potential AI divide, through which broadband connectivity, OTT services and high speed internet will reach villages’.

This will create new opportunities for rural youth to earn income through digital services, YouTube and other online platforms. At the same time, sectors such as telemedicine, online education, e-commerce and digital skilling will develop rapidly.

He said, the Uttar Pradesh government had been working in this direction for several years and now this initiative is being realized with the support of the Hinduja Group. In particular, broadband internet connectivity in border districts such as Shravasti, Bahraich and Balrampur will open new economic opportunities for people and accelerate rural development.

Director of Hinduja Global Solutions Ltd. Vinsley Fernandes said, ‘Just as the Ganga is not only a symbol of faith but also a lifeline for millions of people from the Himalayas to the Bay of Bengal, supporting agriculture, industry and drinking water, the same spirit inspired the naming of this initiative as ‘Project GANGA’’.

The two key pillars of this project are youth and women empowerment. Under the initiative, the target is to create around 100,000 employment opportunities in the state.

Chief Business Officer of One OTT Entertainment Limited Satya Prakash Singh said, ‘The objective of Project GANGA is to extend digital connectivity to remote, underserved and unserved areas so that digital services can expand in rural regions and create new employment opportunities’.

He added, with the availability of high speed internet, new possibilities will open in areas such as telemedicine, online education, digital skilling, e-commerce and digital content.

The program was attended by CEO of the State Transformation Commission Manoj Kumar Singh, Principal Secretary of the Labour Department Shanmuga Sundaram, ACEO of STC Akshat Verma, Hinduja Group representative Dr S.K. Chadha, Director of Hinduja Global Solutions Ltd. Vinsley Fernandes, Chief Business Officer of OIL Satya Prakash Singh and other senior officials associated with the project.