DataWind’s Aakash 2 launched by President of India on National Education Day
The Honorable President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee and the Human Resources & Development (HRD) Minister, MM Pallam Raju today launched , Aakash 2 on the occasion of National Education Day at Vigyan Bhawan. The Aakash 2 Tablet has been designed, developed and manufactured by DataWind Ltd. for supply to IIT Bombay under the Human Resources & Development ministry’s National Mission on Education through Information & Communication Technology (NME-ICT).
The launch was part of a two-day workshop conducted by IIT Bombay for teaching faculties in engineering colleges using remote training applications developed at IIT Bombay’s Open Source development lab. Over the last many months, IIT Bombay has developed applications for engineering students on the Aakash2 platform, which include 3D-modelling, C++ programming, remote and collaborative training applications, robotic control and live assessment tools. IIT Bombay has partnered with the Center for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC), to assist with the hardware testing and logistics.
The Subrao Nilekani Chair Professor at IIT Bombay, Dr. Deepak B. Phatak, heads the project at IIT Bombay with the support of C-DAC. Professor Phatak stated “I'm not only confident, but sure that Aakash 2.0 is here to stay.” In the first phase, DataWind is to supply 100,000 units of Aakash 2 to IIT Bombay, which intends to distribute them to Engineering University and College students. NME-ICT Director, N.K.Sinha said, “We envision all 220 million students across India to be enabled by low cost Aakash devices in the coming years.”
The commercial version of the Aakash2 unit is branded as UbiSlate 7Ci, and is available for purchase on DataWind’s website. Reviews on the unit have been very strong. Feedback from samples distributed to Indian Federal Union Ministers and State Chief Ministers has been “Very Good”, according to officials at the HRD ministry. Washington Post columnist and highly respected commentator Vivek Wadhwa said, “It has the potential of revolutionising India, putting millions of Indians on the Net instantly.” Christopher Peri, the highly influential writer for Venture Beat concluded upon his review: “I want this device”. Forbes magazine’s technology contributor Alice Truong ended her review of the device with: “World changing indeed.”
Speaking on the launch of Aakash 2, DataWind CEO, Suneet Singh Tuli said, “We wish to use technology to fight poverty with a passion. Access to computers and internet will help deliver a better quality education and level the playing field for all Indians”. Forbes Magazine recently recognized Suneet Singh Tuli in its annual Impact 15 list of Social Entrepreneurs whose disruptive technologies is expected to be globally impactful.
“We’re not done yet. We will continue to drive pricing down and make internet devices and access affordable for all tiers of society”, said DataWind Co-Chairman and Chief Technology Officer, Raja Singh Tuli. A globally recognized inventor, Raja Singh Tuli has received over 50 patents across various technologies.
At Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi, the President and the HRD Minister addressed the audience present and launched the most prestigious project of the Govt of India with a live demonstration of the Aakash 2 Tablet, while interacting with teachers in 240 colleges and universities across India.
Aakash 2 Specifications: