The India government plans to launch its second-generation Aakash tablet PCs, and is soliciting Taiwan-based PC makers to participate in the bidding, according to Sandeep Yadav, the convener of the project.

Aided by Taiwan makers' manufacturing capability, it will be possible to lower the selling price of Aakash tablet PCs to US$35, stated Yadav, who visited Taiwan recently.

International bidding for the new Aakash tablet PC project was originally planned for December but might be delayed to January 2012, according to industry sources.

Shipments of the current Aakash models have reached 8,000 units for trial use by students, and the India government aims to ship 200 million units of new Aakash tablets in the next few years, said Yadav, noting that the new Askash will be unveiled in January or February 2012 with a BOM of about US$50.

The first-generation of Aakash tablets are manufactured by UK-based DataWind with 10-20% of needed components supplied by Taiwan makers, Yadav said. 

Source:digitimes