Aakash - 2
supply to IIT Bombay started; launch in October: Datawind
NEW DELHI: Maker of low cost
Aakash tablet, Datawind, today said it has started supplying the new version of
the tablet to IIT Bombay and it is likely to be launched in October.
"Supplies are on to IIT
Bombay. In the next few weeks, it should be launched. I do not have the exact
date, but HRD Minister ( Kapil Sibal) has said he wants to launch on the anniversary
date which is October 5,"Datawind CEO Sunit Singh Tuli told PTI.
The launch will depend on the
Minister's schedule, but it is not very far from now, he added.
Tuli said Datawind has started
supplying the next version of the low cost tablet, Aakash 2, to IIT Bombay
since the last one month and a half. However, he refused to disclose other
details.
Sibal
had earlier said that new version of Aakash tablet would
have a better battery with a three-hour battery backup, a capacitive touch
screen among other new features at the same price.
Datawind had won the tender for
making and supplying Aakash tablets for price of around $49 per unit. Apart
from this order, the company has also received orders for 55 lakh more from
general customers.
Datawind CEO said the company
has cleared most of the pre-paid bookings and will now start focusing on
supplies for the non-paid bookings.
"Out
of 55 lakh orders, 4 to 5 per cent were pre-paid bookings. May be in a week or
10 days, all the pre-paid will be done. Then we will focus on pre-bookings. We
are giving them offers to upgrade to Android 4.4 version," he said.
Datawind is delivering around
1,500 to 2,000 tablets each day, being assembled within the country as well as
outside, Tuli said.
He added that company is in
talks with channel partners to sell products across country, but it will first
focus on the pre-booking order that it has.
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