Billed as India's largest private sector telecom project, the service took off with a call made by the CM to Prime Minister A B Vajpayee at Delhi. The project, promoted jointly by Ispat Industries, Hughes Electronics Corporation and Alltel Corporation, is the second private telecom service to be launched in the country after Bharti Telecom in Madhya Pradesh.

Rajendra Patel, president and CEO of HIL, said the company envisages half a million subscribers in the next three years as exchanges at Worli and Pune become operational. This is expected to go up to 3 million in 15 years as the states of Maharashtra and Goa are fully covered.

Officials emphasised that HIL wouldoffer customised solutions and "not just telephone lines". As opposed to the Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited network which uses copper cables, HIL uses optic fibre and wireless local loop technology.

Regarding value-add to the customer, Patel said HIL would introduce direct digital connectivity between the two offices, toll free calls, and intelligent networks. Tariffs for all services will be the same as that charged by MTNL. Around 20,000 PCOs running on the HIL network are also to come up in Mumbai shortly.

Joshi and Munde asked HIL to provide 80 per cent of jobs for locals as this would "benefit both to the company and Maharashtra". Earlier in the day, some Shiv Sainiks staged a protest outside HIL's Turbhe exchange demanding employment for locals.