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 USD
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.