Aakash 2 tablet to be available to students next month: Kapil Sibal

Union minister Kapil Sibal has said the Indian government's ultra low-cost Aakash 2 tablet will be available to students on November 11. The minister further said that the new version of the Aakash tablet PC will come with 1GHz processor, four-hour battery time, capacitive screen and Android 4.0 operating system. According to the minister, the price of the device will brought down to around Rs. 1,500, by conducting manufacturing activities in India.

“Hopefully on November 11, you will see the President talking to 20,000 students from across the nation, who will have their hands on Aakash,” Sibal said at the Economic Editors’ Conference. “At the moment, we are actually formulating a Cabinet note for the manufacturing of five million Aakash tablets without any financial burden on the Ministry of Finance,” he added.

Kapil Sibal had unveiled the 'Aakash' tablet PC in October last year. The device, aimed at bridging the digital divide in the country, was also dubbed as the world's cheapest tablet PC. The Aakash tablet, however, could never see the light of day due to multiple reasons. Last time we'd heard from DataWind that the device would be launched in October this year, but that seems unlikely now.

With back-to-back delays, empty promises about the launch and numerous controversies, enthusiasm for the Aakash tablet has faded away. Moreover, the government has clearly lost the first mover advantage in the budget tablet market, with numerous manufacturers coming out with their own low-cost tablets. Right now the market is flooded with budget tablets ranging from Rs. 5,000 to Rs. 15,000, giving customers a wide range of choices from and no delays either. For more read Aakash 2 tablet: Outdated even before launch?