The popular low-cost Aakash 2 tablet was showcased by India at the United Nations on November 28, 2012. Apart from showcasing the tablet, Datawind clarified that some parts of the device were being outsourced from China.
The Aakash 2 tablet was launched on November 28, 2012, by the UN secretary General Ban Ki-moon on the occasion of India's current Presidency over the United Nation's Security Council. Suneet Singh Tuli, the CEO of the tablet manufacturer Datawind, gave a presentation of the device.
Hardeep Singh Puri, India’s Permanent Representative at the UN said, “Using the Aakash 2, children in remote schools will have access to world class facilities.” The UN chief said that he knew that the word 'Aakash' meant 'sky' and that he encourages all nations to work with children and help them reach the sky to meet their dreams.
The company said that for the first 10,000 units, which were made for the Indian Institute of Technology, the motherboards and kits were manufactured in its Chinese subcontractor’s facilities for the sake of expediency. The final assembly for the device was done in India, while the units were kitted at various manufacturing facilities in China. Datawind had got the tender for the device in the year 2010, to supply one lakh Aakash tablets for a price of USD 49 per unit.
