Datawind boosts Akash 2 deliveries

DataWind is making all efforts to deliver as many of its second-generation Aakash devices by 31 March, the Canada-based manufacturer said in a status report on delivery of the world cheapest tablets.

This is ''in response to a number of inexact stories that have been published in the media in the last 24 hours,'' the company said in the statement. The company was reacting to reports that the supply of its gadgets to the Indian government would overshoot the deadline.

''The delay was caused by the verifications process that customs needed to conduct on the exemption certificates for certain components issued by IIT-Bombay,'' the company said in a statement, attempting to clear air over reports that it would overshoot the deadline.

DataWind had delivered 17,100 devices of Aakash 2 to IIT-Bombay, and 29,400 devices are in transit, which will be delivered in the next few days to the institution. About 23,500 devices are pending shipment, it said.

Of the remaining 30,000 units, a final assembly is expected within the next couple of weeks, although all efforts are being made to deliver as many as possible by 31 March.

The 30,000 units are being manufactured at H S Chawla & Co., New Delhi, Delhi Control Devices, Noida, Digital Circuits, Bangalore, RishabhInfrarealities, Raipur, and at DataWind's facilities in Amritsar.

''We are currently delivering between 2,500-3,000 units per day to our customers commercially and have been recognised among the top 3 tablet manufacturers in India for the last two quarters in a row,'' said DataWind president and CEO, Suneet Singh Tuli.