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India has introduced the world's cheapest tablet PC: the "Aakash," priced at $35. The tablet is the result of a collective social innovation exercise by a group of students and professors at the Indian Institute of Technology who designed the specifications for Aakash and passed it on to a manufacturer for mass production. The group is now working on enhanced versions of the tablet, and a sleeker and more power-packed tablet is already gearing up for a launch.

The UK manufacturer DataWind has named that tablet Ubislate 7 for the international market. The tablet runs on Android 2.2 and has a 7-inch screen. It includes microSD slots and a USB drive. DataWind has initially priced the tablet at $35 for the government of India. The goal of the low-priced tablet is to make technology accessible to every Indian. The company is hoping to sell the upgraded versions of the tablet in the UK and US markets.

The earliest versions of Aakash were developed at the campus of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) in Rajasthan. The project was a part of a government-supported undertaking to make computer technology affordable for Indian students. India's Education Minister, Kapil Sibal, has been a vocal supporter of this project.
The Aakash project at IIT is currently managed by one of its earliest developers, Professor P.K. Kalra along with Professors Sandeep Yadav and Anupam Gupta. They are leading a team of about 170 students who are involved in various aspects of this still growing project.

The team at IIT is progressing well with its development of more advanced versions of Aakash. Aakash 2 includes a superior processor, increased memory and higher onboard storage, according to Professor Gupta. It runs on Android's Gingerbread OS. Once the prototype is ready, the team will offer the design to the most competitive and capable bidding manufacturer. Professor Gupta says, "Our designs are ready. It depends on when the manufacturer is able to take up the order and finish the next one."