Agencies/New Delhi

Makers of India’s low-cost Aakash tablet yesterday denied a media report that said the computer was a cheap Chinese import and not an Indian innovation as was claimed.
DataWind, a British-based company with major operations in Canada and India, said the allegations in the Hindustan Times newspaper that the company had “conned” India with the computer were “inaccurate and misleading.”
Early this month India launched the Aaakash 2, a new version of what is dubbed the world’s cheapest computer - for sale to students at a subsidised price of $20 - with a quicker processor and an improved battery.
DataWind chief executive Suneet Singh Tuli said in a statement the company’s business model was similar to that of technology giant Apple “where we use subcontract manufacturers to build our products.”
“The software and mechanical parts (of Aakash 2 tablets) are developed by us,” Tuli said in the statement.
The Hindustan Times said the company may have procured these devices off-the-shelf from manufacturers in China and alleged that it had “no role either in the design or manufacturing of Aakash 2 tablets.”
Tuli said for the first 10,000 units, the motherboards and kits were manufactured in its Chinese subcontractor’s facilities “for expediency” but the final assembly and programming was done in India.
“This was well discussed and we got approval prior to shipping,” he said.
DataWind said the circuit-boards for Aakash 1 as well as the Aakash 2 were built in Hyderabad. Besides, the Capacitive Touch Screen which is the most expensive element in Aakash 2 is being manufactured by the company at its Montreal facility which was shown to visiting representatives of Indian Institute of Technology. The software and mechanical parts are also being developed by the company.
“We also have four partner manufacturers across India that will work on the deliveries to the government, but we just couldn’t get them started to assemble our new Aakash2 units in time but they will start to ship early in December,” the statement said.
DataWind said the company is setting up its second touch screen facility in India which is presently going through pilot.
“We have been strong proponents of developing a manufacturing base in India, and our actions continue to reflect this,” the statement added.
India will showcase the Aakash tablet at the UN, highlighting the country’s innovation involved in creating the “most competitively priced” tablet computer.
India’s Permanent Representative to the UN Hardeep Singh Puri said a presentation on the tablet will be held on November 28 at the world body’s headquarters to which UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon will be invited.
The Aakash tablet is seen as helping end India’s “digital divide” and is aimed at making computing technology available to students in a country where only one in 10 people use the Internet.
The paperback-book-sized Aakash 2 has a screen measuring 18cm and runs on Google’s Android operating system.
The Aakash has been hailed a major success for India, which is also famous for producing the Tata Nano - the world’s cheapest car, priced at about $2,500.