Exclusive Interview Video of Mr Suneet Singh Tuli, CEO, DataWind with NDTV’s Gadget Guru

The whole of India is currently seems to be talking about the latest launch of world’s cheapest tablet computer (Aakash) in India. Country is feeling proud to have developed (not only India’s but) world’s cheapest tablet with Made in India stamp. After all, how many innovations one can really find with this stamp. As a matter fact, we have become quite used to identifying each and everything that sells quite cheap as originating from China. But, good that this time we don’t really have to see Made in China stamp and yet Aakash has been launched at ultra low price in India. It is true that Aakash may not be exactly $35 or may by slightly more than this amount, yet it continues to be the world’s cheapest tablet computer. A UK based company named DataWind has developed this product. DataWind has got its units in China as well yet they developed this tablet from their India unit.

Interesting Facts to know about Aakash

The Tablet was earlier named as “Sakshat” and now has been officially released with the name “Aakash” which means sky.

Aakash is world’s cheapest computer ever produced commercially and India gets this credit.

This cheapest computer- Aakash has been developed as a part of the National Mission on Education through Information and Communication Technology and with the objective to link 25,000 colleges and 400 universities for an e-learning programme. This ultra low cost tablet has been developed by Indian Institute of Technology.

The expected subsidized pri On the technical specifications and features front, Aakash will run on Google Android OS and will have 256 MB of RAM. It will also have a 32 GB of expandable memory slot and two USB ports. It will use Wi-Fi for internet connectivity. It is expected to have battery backup of 180 minutes. ce tag to be $35 or 1750 Rupees. This is the price at which it will be made available to the students in India.

The non-subsidized $60 or Rs 2999 model will also have an inbuilt cellular modem and SIM to access internet which is not there in the subsidized model of $35 or Rs 1750 which will be supplied to the govt.

In an exclusive interview with NDTV’s Gadget Guru, Mr Suneet Singh Tuli, CEO DataWind disclosed this that how this tablet could have been even cheaper, had they developed this from their China unit. He cited reasons like complicated tax structure, inter-state sales taxes, VAT and other such costs which got added to the manufacturing cost of Aakash for getting it developed from India unit. Moreover, they had to specially setup this new unit in Hyderabad for producing Aakash tablet computers even when they had running units capable of developing such tablet devices in China itself. Had they done this from China, then obviously costs would have been even lesser and hence the final selling price.

But then this extra price has to be paid to have this “Made in India” tag which also is quite significant. HRD ministry wanted Aakash to be launched with Made in India tag rather than anything else. This is what Mr. Suneet Singh Tuli quoted in his exclusive interview with NDTV’s Gadget Guru Rajiv Makhni;

“It would have been cheaper to produce the tablet in China, in our existing facility. Manufacturing in India is not easy because of the complicated tax structure, inter-state sales taxes, VAT and other associated costs. We set up a unit in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh and also faced problems due to the Telengana agitations and so on. But it was important for this project to have the Made in India tag and despite hurdles we feel it’s been worth it.”

Courtesy of www.hacktik.com/