Tuli clears the air on Aakash 2 delay reports

Datawind, the Canada-based vendor of Aakash 2 tablets, has released an update on the delivery status of Aakash 2 devices to IIT-Bombay, following reports this morning that hinted at a delay in supplies. 

According to a statement from the company, 17,100 devices have been delivered to IIT-Bombay and paid for, to date. As many as 29,400 units of the Aakash 2 are in transit to IIT-Bombay  through their logistics company and should be delivered in the next few days. Further, 23,500 devices have been manufactured and are at sub-contract manufacturers – pending shipment once it clears the payment for the 29,400 units.

As for the remaining 30,000 units, Datawind has confirmed that the motherboards, touchscreens and all other components have been manufactured and the final assembly is being completed. It expects to accomplish its completion within the next couple of weeks, withefforts being made to deliver as many as possible by March 31, 2013.

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Tuli holding the Aakash 2 tablet

The remaining 30,000 units of the Aakash 2 tablet are being manufactured at the following locations:

• H. S. Chawla & Co., New Delhi
• Delhi Control Devices Pvt. Ltd., Noida, Uttar Pradesh
• Digital Circuits Pvt. Ltd., Bangalore, Karnataka
• RishabhInfrarealities Pvt. Ltd., Raipur, Chhattisgarh
• Datawind’s facilities in Amritsar

Explaining the delay, the company statement clarifies that it was caused by the verifications process that the Customs had to conduct on the Exemption Certificates for certain components issued by IIT-Bombay. 

Suneet Singh Tuli, President and CEO of Datawind Ltd, said, “We are pleased with how our manufacturing has scaled over the last few months.”

He added, “We are currently delivering between 2,500 to 3,000 units per day to our customers commercially and have been recognized among the top 3 tablet manufacturers in India for the last two quarters in a row.”

Tuli further confirmed, “We continue to maintain our leadership position as India’s lowest cost supplier of tablet computers, and have pioneered India’s ‘phablet’ market where our UbiSlate 7C+ devices provide combined smartphone and tablet functionality.  Coupled with our patented breakthrough web delivery platform, the UbiSlate 7C+ provides the fastest mobile internet experience on common cellular networks.”

On a related note, in addition to the four new manufacturing partners for the Aakash 2 tablets in India, the company has set up India’s first touchscreen lab in Amritsar to further its goal to establish and grow India’s hi-tech manufacturing industry.  

Tuli added, “We commend Honourable Minister Dr. Pallam Raju for carrying on Honourable Kapil Sibal’s vision; and Professor Deepak Phatak for salvaging the project after the difficulties encountered in the first version. While detractors glee in proclaiming the project’s premature demise, our vision is to enable every child in India with such solutions, and promise to persevere against adversity.”

Aakash 2 was launched amidst much pomp and fanfare in November last year. The Permanent Mission of India to United Nations, New York, hosted a special event to unveil and launch the Aakash 2 at the United Nations. H.E. Ban Ki-moon, Secretary General of the United Nations, was the Chief Guest at the Special Event that was attended by over 500 invitees, including 65 Ambassadors/PRs, media delegates, NGOs and select members of the Indian community.