India unveils world's cheapest tablet PC at $35!

Image: Students use Aakash, which means 'sky', dubbed the world's cheapest tablet computer, after its launching ceremony in New Delhi on October 5, 2011.
Photographs: Parivartan Sharma/Reuters Onkar Singh in New Delhi

The world's cheapest tablet PC, priced at around Rs 1,200 ($24.34), will now be available to students in the country as part of the government's programme to expand education through information technology.

The tablet PC, named Aakash, will cost the government Rs 2,276.

It will be given to students after subsidising the price by up to 50 per cent, HRD Minister Kapil Sibal said on Wednesday, while unveiling the device in New Delhi.

With PTI inputs

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India unveils world's cheapest tablet PC at $35!

Image: Students with the world's cheapest tablet computer in New Delhi on October 5, 2011. Aakash will be sold to students at the subsidised price of $35.
Photographs: Parivartan Sharma/Reuters

"The tablet is for Rs 2,276 which includes taxes and cost of transportation. The government will provide subsidy of 50 per cent to institutes buying it. It will cost around Rs 1,100-Rs 1,200 to institutes," Sibal said.

Initially, an order of one lakh devices has been placed with device maker Datawind, Sibal said. The procurement order will be scaled up later with an aim to bringing down prices further, he added.

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India unveils world's cheapest tablet PC at $35!

Image: Suneet Singh Tuli, CEO of DataWind, the small British-based company that developed Aakash, displays the 'world's cheapest' tablet during its launch ceremony in New Delhi.
Photographs: Parivartan Sharma/Reuters

"If 10 lakh pieces are ordered, then it will be priced at Rs 1,750 (cost to the government) which will include transportation cost and vendor's profit as well. So, I have fulfilled my promise of $35 tablet," Sibal said.

Sibal said he will ask telecom vendor ITI to manufacture it and will seek support of other industry players to scale up the production and reduce costs.

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