The $45 Akash
The irrepressible Mr. Sibal has done it again. He thinks that a high powered govt. committee can supervise the manufacture of a mil-spec Akash (Siblet – I have borrowed this name from @comicproject on Twitter) through BEL and ECIL for $45. Let me get this straight – a few current and retired bureaucrats who probably majored in English or Hindi Lit will now tell some folks at a sarkari company how to design a tablet and get it done. Secondly, he wants the tab to be Indegenized. This is getting beyond ridiculous to say the least.
Let’s count the reasons:
#1: While DataWind may not be the best manufacturer, why not eject them for someone better?
#2: Do we really thing that BEL and ECIL have the wherewithal to actually build a device that customers will like. Name the last consumer electronics box either of these companies built? The answer is none! Even Videocon would be better suited than either of these. I have closely observed the inner workings of BEL in an earlier life – not pretty! They might turn around and give the contract back to DataWind.
#3: Why MIL-SPEC? What the heck is IIT Jodhpur thinking?
#4: What’s with the $45 price – you can’t even buy a decent phone with it, let alone a tablet.
#5: Why the insistence on Indigenization? The current Akash imports about 70% of components and it is impossible to indigenize it any further unless India starts manufacturing chips, LCD screens and other related electronics overnight.
Bold vision is bold only if supported by a path to getting there. Otherwise, it just looks stupid and megalomaniacal.
This is exactly the reason why India needs its own Sony and disband the departments of science and technology and telecommunications, and others but that is another story!
What do you mean ‘what the heck is IIT Jodhpur thinking’? The even more fundamental question is ‘what the heck is IIT Jodhpur’?
As long as there is no IIT Jhumritalayya, we are doing OK.
yeah sock one on the jaw too!
Vision give the Stength..Even when Tata’s spelled of nano..People laughed at him ..but today nano stands the cheapest car of india..!!!
If sibbal’s vision is to indigeous the product their would be some logical thinking behind it…Today it is 70% import ,tomorow it might come down to 20%…Comeon after some one has to direct the path …Follower and striders are after all the engineers..And Engineering and Challenges are after all the two sides of the same coin…!!!
Well,
@Anil: Nice one bro.
I respect Mr. Saurabh Phaltane’s feelings, but if you look at the reality, India will take 50 plus years to start making chips (the investment and infrastructure costs exceed the wealth of tata’s and ambanis. Did you ever wonder why India doesn’t manufacture chips?). So in no ways is the 70% import coming down too soon.
The kind of government policies and labour laws here are not pro-manufacturing oriented. Inefficiency and dealyed projects are inevitable. Even big organizations such as ISRO are not being able to complete projects after one year plus of deadline date. Besides stable power supplies are also an issue since independance. So a $45 akash if manufactured here will cost $200 or something with mostly the same specs. Besides you’ll get to hear about the Akash Scam or something also.
Its not only faith that moves the world brother, it has to be followed by practical actions.
Its not like we don’t have the brains or the skill, 17% of Intel scientists are Indians NASA has over 36% Indians as their staff ( as per Government Survey) yet here, we failed to launch one Geo-sationary satellite two times back to back (ISRO…)…
Until our polic makers come out of their Fantasy and not make whimsical decisions to prove thier intellect and make sure that their no so good ideas are approved for the sake of their egos… We ain’t getting anywhere.
I still hope India will change for better, but it’ll have to fall first before being reborn into a State of Power that others will fear.
Peace