No competition with BSNL tab, says Aakash maker

NEW DELHI, INDIA: The dawn of 2012 has brought some cheers to India's education sector. As the government opens its Pandora’s box for 220 million children, the country's IT sector gets food for thought!

Is a powerful, yet affordable, tablet PC all what India yearns for? As the Center embarks on ICT-centric ambitious roadmap, the business imperatives for such a device have increased manifold.

Aakash-maker DataWind, on the other hand may have refuted the recent reports, but as BSNL collaborates with Pantel for Rs 3,250 tablet, it's evident that the former is no longer government's preferred partner.

But as Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Infotel was bought out of its plans to foray into the ultra-low cost tablet market with additional 4G services, later this year, the state-owned BSNL, will perhaps try to target the two with one scourge.

Also read: Now, book BSNL's tablet worth Rs.3,250

While DataWind is coming out with the much awaited Rs 2,999 UbiSlate 7 aka Aakash II, by mid-March, the BSNL-Pantel T-Pad tablets are already out, and pre-booking has started. With insignificant price and specification variation, both are evenly poised to relinquish the digital divide.

Speaking to CIOL, DataWind SVP, Vijendra K Gupta said that "They (BSNL-Pantel) have their own segment, specification and pricing, therefore the company doesn’t foresee any competition’’.

"With astonishing response from the consumers, we are set to rollout out Aakash II during mid-March," he added. 

The tablet, he said, will be shipped to those who opted for pre-booking as well as commercially available to the partners' community for sales.