Aakash, The World’S Cheapest Tablet Pc, Is Here

[Azaad]

Last year, on July 22, when Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal launched the prototype of a $35 low-cost computing device, the cheapest anywhere, critics said it would be impossible to develop.

Today, Sibal launched ‘Aakash’, the world’s lowest priced (Rs 2,250 per unit) touch-screen computing and internet access device, which will allow people with humble means a chance to access the same set of web information which the rich access through more sophisticated devices. To start with, the device will be made available to students at 50% subsidy (Rs 1,125) and the government plans to bring down the price to $10 a unit.

For the makers of Aakash, it has been a long and tough journey. Suneet Singh Tuli, Chief Executive Officer of Datawind, the Canada-based provider of wireless web access services, which is developing the tablet for India, told The Tribune: “Every vision has detractors. People said Aakash was impossible; others felt India could never make it. We are here to tell the world that we have arrived.”

Tuli and his brother Raja Singh, who hail from Punjab but immigrated to Canada years ago, are now designing, developing and manufacturing Aakash in collaboration with IIT-Rajasthan whose Director Prem Kalra was overwhelmed at the launch today. “Behind this event, there is so much life hidden that I can never tell,” he said. It was Kalra’s son, a BTech student at IIT-Rajasthan, whose thesis gave the government the idea to develop Aakash.

However, top industrialists cold-shouldered Sibal when he sought their help to realise the dream.

“So we chose to go it alone and asked our institutes to develop the prototype. IIT-Rajasthan was told to procure and test the device based on the specifications our team finalized,” NK Sinha, in charge, National Mission on Education through Information and Communication Technology (NME-ICT), which is funding the project, said.

The biggest challenge, however, was to lower the cost. Tenders were called and closed on February 15, 2011 with Datawind emerging the lowest bidder. “We then established a production line in Hyderabad where Quad teamed up to produce the device,” Tuli said. He was flanked by Raminder Singh, MD, Quad Electronics, Hyderabad, who calls Aakash “revolutionary”.

For the tablet team, the next big job is to deliver the first government order of one lakh pieces. The target eventually is 10 million pieces for which the government wants a price of Rs 1,750. “We have already given a proposal at this rate. With today’s launch, we intend to start a price war to bring the rates further down. From the first consignment, 3,300 pieces will go to each state,” Tuli said. He is already gearing for commercial version of Aakash in late November. Called UbiSlate, it will be available for Rs 2,999 (inclusive of all taxes). “UbiSlate will have a 12- month warranty and internet access across mobile networks for just Rs 99 (2GB),” Tuli, who also has operations in Amritsar, said.

Meanwhile, the makers of Aakash have trained students to help states operate the device and return the feedback in 45 days to help improve on the pending units. The government, for its part, hopes to give Aakash to all college students. “In the 12th Plan, we will cover students from classes IX to XII,” Sibal said.

As for the device, it has three-hour battery life and functions like web browsing, video conferencing, social networking, instant messaging and gaming. It is expected to bridge the digital divide between the rich and poor and is Wi-Fi enabled. With inbuilt GPRS and modem, 2 USB ports and internet access anywhere in the vicinity of a mobile tower (2G platform), Aakash will allow students to access thousands of hours of lectures by IIT professors and e-content on the National Programme on Technology Enhanced Learning (NPTEL) platform which offers web and video based courses in engineering, science and humanities.

[Azaad]

the creator of this tablet is Suneet Singh Tulli CEO of Datawind who was suspended from his high school in Canada for wearing his kirpan.

In 1986 Suneet Singh Tuli, a student at Paul Kane High School in St. Albert, was suspended from school because he refused to stop wearing his ten-inch ceremonial sword (kirpan) to class. Following its no-weapons policy, the St. Albert Protestant Separate School Board claimed dial the kirpan could be used as a weapon to inflict serious injury. Tuli lodged a complaint with the Alberta Human Rights Commission and filed a law-suit in the court against the decision of the school board. The Court of Queen's Bench Justice A.H. Wachowich granted Suneet Singh Tuli a temporary order restraining the Separate School Board (District No. 6) from taking action against the Grade 12 student until the issue is settled in a pending law suit. By allowing him to wear the sword, the Judge said: "Students will be given an opportunity to understand the tradition and heritage of the Sikh religion. In my view it's a positive educational tool that would far outweigh the potential danger, so long as it's recognized as a privilege and not a right."67 The Judge granted the injunction on condition that "the kirpan is tied down and can't be removed from its sheath, and tip blunted." Tuli thus wore his kirpan until he graduated from the school. Eventually the Alberta Human Rights Commission ruled that a ban on the kirpans violated the religious practices of the Sikhs.

[kds1980]

http://www.hacktik.com/aakash-tablet-could-have-been-even-cheaper-than-35-video.html/

And here is the photo of proud CEO of Datawind

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.

Have a look at ‘first look’ pictures of Aakash Tablet.

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.”

Check out the below Video of exclusive interview of Mr Tuli with NDTV to understand how Aakash – the World’s cheapest tablet, could come into existence with Made in India tag.

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

[West London Singh]

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.”

Shame on Mr Singh Tulli then. Seems money is more pyara to him than our beloved Punjab. If I'm gonna be forced to make something in India rather than China I'll move heaven and earth to make sure I give my unemployed Sikh brethren and sistren in Punjab the jobs they desparately need. Its not just the dastaar and dhari that maketh the Sikh....It's his actions. Suneet Singh Tulli gets no respect from me. His first love is clearly money.

[kds1980]

Shame on Mr Singh Tulli then. Seems money is more pyara to him than our beloved Punjab. If I'm gonna be forced to make something in India rather than China I'll move heaven and earth to make sure I give my unemployed Sikh brethren and sistren in Punjab the jobs they desparately need. Its not just the dastaar and dhari that maketh the Sikh....It's his actions. Suneet Singh Tulli gets no respect from me. His first love is clearly money.

What he is doing is business and not charity.In business you have to select the place where you find the cheapest and best resources.Everyone knows that South India is preferred destination of all MNC companies as South Indians are more educated and ready to work at lower cost.You can't make business decision based on from where you belong or what religion are you of.

[West London Singh]

What he is doing is business and not charity.In business you have to select the place where you find the cheapest and best resources.Everyone knows that South India is preferred destination of all MNC companies as South Indians are more educated and ready to work at lower cost.You can't make business decision based on from where you belong or what religion are you of.

Yes you can. Muslims manage to do it. Jews manage to do it. Only YOU find such a thing very difficult. I can only assume thats because you find most things quite difficult. "Everyone knows" there's these types of jobs aplenty in the south so its an employees market.....thus higher wages. "Everybody" also "knows", except you of course, that Punjab has something like a 90% unemployment rate of highly educated graduates and even post graduates with these required skills and qualifications.

You and me are different fella. For you the 'Sikh' is just the man with the pagh and dhari. For me, the Sikh is the man with the pagh, dhari and the actions of a Sikh. You are clearly quite easily pleased.

[kds1980]

Yes you can. Muslims manage to do it. Jews manage to do it. Only YOU find such a thing very difficult. I can only assume thats because you find most things quite difficult. "Everyone knows" there's these types of jobs aplenty in the south so its an employees market.....thus higher wages. "Everybody" also "knows", except you of course, that Punjab has something like a 90% unemployment rate of highly educated graduates and even post graduates with these required skills and qualifications.

You and me are different fella. For you the 'Sikh' is just the man with the pagh and dhari. For me, the Sikh is the man with the pagh, dhari and the actions of a Sikh. You are clearly quite easily pleased.

Only few muslims manage to do it.Azim prem ji is muslim, since when he chooses to set up plants in Muslims area I don't remember.He is CEO not the owner of company so his decision will most probably be affected by major shareholders.As far unemployed educated youths are concerned please tell at what rate they are willing to work ,forget about Punjab even call centers companies are quitting India as they no longer found Cheap english speaking work force.Philipines has already taken over Call center business.

As far actions are concerned please tell me how many qualified Sikh NRI's are investing in Punjab or coming back to teach skills to Punjabi Youths back in Punjab..Why is it that it is O.K for them to live ,work in White countries and make money for themselve

but not O.K for Suneet singh to set up plant in Hyderabad?

[HDSH]

WestLondonSingh, can you not make things personal for once?

[West London Singh]

^ I'll try HDSH but.......I'm afraid I don't suffer fools gladly.

So...kds1980....your point above is irrellevent. Mr Suneet Singh Tulli was given a clear cut choice. He was told he had to choose a state in India. Any state he wants. He had his own choice....thru his own free will to pick any state....including his holy dharti of Punjab. He had to sit down and evaluate how much his people mean to him. Did they mean more to him than money ? The answer is no. People like me on the other hand, and thousands of conscious Sikhs like me, earning a low to middle wage, are dreaming and aching to do something for our quom back home in the motherland. If only.....we dream...if only we had the chance to do something for our holy land and our brothers and sisters who are suffering India's worst unemployment rate. Not only would we jump at the chance to do so, we would also pay money out of our own pockets for the honour and priveledge of being able to do so. But Mr Suneet Singh Tulli is of a different ilk. His 'Sikhness' does not extend beyond his dhari and pagh. He has shown himself to be a man of no substance other than the money in his wallet. As a people though.......As Punjabis.....it is our nature to respect such men not because of their actions but because of their material wealth. Thats not the way I work though. Thats not the way I think. I respect men because of their actions.....and thus it follows, men lose my respect because of their inaction.

There are quite literally hundreds of thousands of UK, Canada and America based Gujaratis that each year invest heavily in the infrastructure in India. Do you think any of them do it in Punjab ? or Tamil Nadu ? or Kerala ? No. Every last one of them does so in their motherland of Gujarat. The result of this is that those areas within Gujarat state are now so prosperous they make Punjab look like a poor slum. I suggest then, you write to each of these Gujarati businessmen and tell them of your business theory. Tell them how wrong and stupid they are for not letting their motherland state rot. After that, sit down and write to the executives of Nissan and British legislators and tell them how wrong they are for what they did in the 1980's...i.e invest in the dead, poor, north east of England for sociological reasons when business acumen was saying no.

There is an old saying, my friend : 'build it and they will come'. All it takes is one brave man with foresight. Mr Suneet Singh Tulli is not such a man. If he had taken that brave decision with foresight, to build in Punjab....many many more would have followed.

Alas, the situation now is this : Through his decision, thousands of Indians are gonna have good jobs earning decent money whilst Punjab and its sikhs continues year by year to slip further down the poverty ranks of India with 90% of its highly skilled graduates without job or a hope of ever finding a job......while we all sit here and state how in awe and full of respect we all are of a man...because he's got lotsa dosh. This is indeed a strange upside down world we live in......in which we excell in being extremely short-sighted.

[HDSH]

Just because someone has a different opinion than yourself does not make them a fool.