DataWind launches low cost smartphone in UP

Targets youth, students with free net access for 12 months

Datawind, the supplier of world's cheapest web access device branded as 'Aakash' by the Centre, today launched its low-cost smartphone 'PocketSurfer' in Uttar Pradesh.

The company is targetting the youth and the students in both urban and rural centres with its new product priced between Rs 1,999 and Rs 5,499 for different versions of the smartphone.

DataWind has tied up with Reliance Communications to bundle free internet access for a year on its new devices.

"Our smartphone would be available both in physical retail stores as well as through a home shopping TV channel," DataWind president and CEO Suneet Singh Tuli said here.

He reiterated that the company's focus remained on the low end of internet access devices spanning tablets and smartphones.

Almost 21 million mobile phones are sold in India per month, of which 7 million are smartphones, while the remaining 1.4 million feature phones are priced below Rs 3,000, which is the segment eyed by DataWind.

The company owns 18 US and international patents for faster and cheaper internet access over 2.5G and 3G networks. DataWind's backend cloud servers compress and accelerate web content to render a fast and rich web experience even on traditional GPRS/EDGE 2.5G mobile network, he said.

Meanwhile, the company plans to shift 90 percent of its manufacturing to India within three months to capitalise on duty rebate being offered under 'Make in India' theme.

Replying to a Business Standard query, Tuli said the company was still scouring for the suitable place for its new manufacturing unit(s).

"UP and the central India states are our major target markets and we would like our new unit to be as close to our target markets as possible," he underlined.

Recently, a couple of domestic handset makers have announced plans to set up their manufacturing units in UP.