Datawind opposes test standard of IIT for Aakash tablet

New Delhi: IT device maker Datawind today said the proposed product testing criteria by IIT (Jodhpur) cannot be applied to the first version of Aakash tablets, the world's cheapest, supplied by the company.

IIT (Jodhpur)'s test criteria include conditions like water resistance whereby a unit of Aakash tablet will be placed in a rain chamber supplying rain at a rate of no less than 4 inches per hour.

Datawind CEO Sunit Sing Tuli told PTI that the test specifications have been proposed by the IIT after the tender document was submitted and were not a part of the original tender.

"The price point at which Aakash tablets are being made cannot be compared to USD 1000 laptop. We have supplied product with better specification than what was issued by IIT Jodhpur," Tuli said.

Test criteria made by the IIT is based on millitary specification of a rugged product, he said, adding, "We have objected to it that millitary specifications do not make sense."

IIT was given the responsibility to procure USD 35 (about Rs 2,000) tablet under 'The National Mission on Education through Information and Communication Technologies (NME-ICT) of the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) programme.

Tuli said that the company has communicated its view to the concerned IIT Director and he is confident that changes in the proposed test criteria will be made soon.

On recent reports of complication in the Letter of Credit issued to the company by the government, Tuli said it is valid till end of January and as after resolving issue of test criteria, it will be extended further.

"I am confident that Letter of Credit will be extended," Tuli said. The Letter of Credit will enable Datawind to get payment from banks after the government approves it and communicates to banks for making payments.

Tuli said the government is committed for a long-term and full supply of 1 lakh unit from Datawind.

source: http://ibnlive.in.com/news/datawind-opposes-test-standard-of-iit-for-aakash/221014-11.html

Kapil Sibal's low-cost Aakash tablet may be shelved

The Union human resource development (HRD) ministry may refuse to extend the letter of credit (LC) to Montreal-based DataWind, the makers of the world's cheapest computer tablet, Aakash, priced at Rs.2,250 after a series of faults were detected, owing to which buyers have largely dumped it.

Aakash tablets were created specifically for students with the aim of bridging the 'digital divide' between the rich and the poor. The government now plans to dump these problematic tabs to rural villages.

Worse still is the fact that the entire project launched with much fanfare by HRD minister Kapil Sibalin October last year could be shelved.

Sources said the idea conceptualised by Sibal for an affordable tablet has been hijacked by corporate giant, Mukesh-Ambani's Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL), which plans to launch its fourthgeneration (4G) services later this year and sell tablets at cheap price of around Rs.3,500.

Industry observers said Mukesh's RIL could probably team up with DataWind or with any other entity to launch 4G services in India. RIL is the only company to have pan-India spectrum to offer wireless broadband services on the 4G technology platform, having paid Rs.13,000 crore for these airwaves.

The 4G, also called longterm evolution (LTE), will have much higher speed than 3G and many telecom companies are gearing up for its worldwide launch early this year.

The HRD ministry had initially placed an order for one lakh units with DataWind. It received 30,000 Aakash tabs as part of the pilot run. But it proved a disaster after poor the feedback received concerning these tabs.

The tablets distributed among students under the pilot run had an Android 2.2 operating system, a seven-inch touchscreen, a 366 MHz processor, two USB ports, a multimedia player and 180 minutes of battery power. Instead of the 366 MHz processor, the improved Aakash will have a 766 MHz processor and a battery with a better life.

Sources said DataWind had reportedly refused to upgrade the second tranche of 70,000 Aakash tablets with improved specifications, for which it sought more funds. However, it will supply the second tranche of improved Aakash tablets at the original price of Rs.2,250.

But IIT-Rajasthan, which is a tendering authority for the Aakash project has not come out with the new testing standards so far. The HRD ministry is looking for new vendors to sell the second tranche of 70,000 improved tablets from DataWind.

Authorities said this is a clear indication that DataWind's LC will not be extended, which lapses this month-end. It will now be supplied by other agency and not DataWind.

But the promoter of DataWind, Suneet S. Tuli, has successfully managed to get over 20 lakh bookings for the improved and upgraded version of the Aakash tablet in the open market where it costs Rs.749 more atRs.2,999.

Tuli was not available for comments. However, company official claimed that their LC would be extended beyond January 30. "We have not been paid for 30,000 tablets which we have supplied so far," the official complained.

source: http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/aakash-low-cost-india-tablet-kapil-sibal/1/168564.html

Aakash Tablet To Be Discontinued?

The project of providing tablets to students may be altogether shelved after a series of faults were detected in the device. 

Friday, January 13, 2012:  There are all possibilities that the Union human resource development (HRD) ministry may not extend the letter of credit (LC) to the makers of world's cheapest tablet Aakash as a lot of faults have been detected in the device, since its launch in October. 

The tablet manufactured by Montreal-based Datawind is priced at Rs 2,250 but still has been almost ridiculed by buyers and users alike, owing to the poor tech specs and performance of the device. The tablet was manufactured specifically for students with the aim of bridging the 'digital divide' between the rich and the poor, states an India Today report. However, now the government is planning to dump the faulty device in rural villages. 

It is even possible that the entire project to provide cheapest tablets to students launched by HRD minister Kapil Sibal may have to be shelved. According to sources, the idea which was conceptualised by Sibal has now been hijacked by Mukesh Ambani's Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL). The corporate is now working on its fourth generation (4G) latest tablet, which will be priced around Rs 3500. The 4G long term evolution (LTE) network has much higher speed than the 3G network and many companies will be launching the 4G network worldwide this year. 

According to industry people, there are also possibilities that RIL may get into an agreement with Datawind or some other firm to launch the 4G network. So far, RIL is the only firm that has a pan-India spectrum to offer wireless broadband services on the 4G technology platform. It had paid Rs 13,000 crore for these airwaves. 

Initially, the HRD ministry had placed an order of one lakh Aakash tablets and received 30,000 tablets as part of the pilot. The feedback on the devices as part of the pilot project was not good at all and below par. 

Aakash tablet that was initially given to students runs a basic Android 2.2 Froyo version. It has a 366 MHz processor and a 17.8-cm (7-inch) resistive touchscreen. It is said to have a battery back up of three hours. The next version of Aakash is said to have an improved 766 MHz processor with an improved battery life. 

DataWind had reportedly refused to upgrade the remaining 70,000 tablets of the second lot as it required more funds for that. However, now, the company will complete the remaining order with an upgraded version of Aakash, which will be available at the original price tag of Rs 2,250. There are also reports that the HRD ministry is looking for other vendors for selling the 70,000 upgraded units of Aakash. Even IIT-Rajasthan, the tendering authority of the project, has not come out with new testing standards of the tablet. 

According to authorities, these are clear indications that the LC, which lapses this month end, will not be extended by the ministry. Despite the fact, Datawind has got over 20 lakh retail bookings for the tablet so far. 

DataWind had said that the LC would be extended beyond 30 January. According to an official from DataWind, the firm has not yet been paid for the 30,000 units of Aakash that they have delivered so far. 

Within 15 to 20 days, the fate of the much touted Aakash would be sealed, may be for the good of the students atleast. 


source: http://news.efytimes.com/e1/76883/Aakash-Tablet-To-Be-Discontinued

India Launches US$50 Aakash Tablet PC

Jan. 13 – India has launched the initial pilot run of the Aakash tablet PC, with some 100,000 units having been delivered this week. The PC, similar in look and functionality to an iPad, has been designed to specifically cater for Indian students and the Indian Ministry of Human Resource and Development is set to purchase 10 million of them to distribute to schoolchildren in attempts to improve literacy and educational standards across the country.

Jointly developed by the Canadian company Datawind and the Indian Institute of Technology Rajasthan, the Aakash is being manufactured in India at plants in Cochin, Noida and Hyderabad. By the end of March an updated version tweaked from observations made during this week’s run will be launched and distributed throughout the country at a rate of 5 million a month.

The Aakash – which means “Sky” in Hindi – is expected to have a transforming effect on Indian society.

“We expect that within 5 or 10 years everyone will have one – and every year there will be greater capacity. There will be children learning, farmers checking on irrigation or crop prices, pregnant women getting medical assistance, all through the Aakash. It is empowerment on a global scale,” said Professor Prem Kalra of the Indian Institute of Technology Rajasthan.

A key factor in India, where many of those lucky enough to have a job earn no more than US$3 per day, is cost. Kalra and his team said the specific goal was building a functioning computer that a daily wage laborer could buy if he saved one day’s earnings a month. This gave a US$50 target.

Recent estimates indicate that 112 million Indians currently have internet access, a distant third behind China with 485 million and the United States with 245 million. The level reflects India’s low relative levels of education, creaky infrastructure and persistent poverty. But the number is set to reach 230 million within three or four years, according to industry estimates. The government is aiming for 600 million Indians using the internet by 2016 in a market that is expected to overtake China to see Indians become the biggest single internet user population in the world within less than a decade.