Sakshat – Indian Government Announces New OLPC At $35

A bit confusingly, two different designs of a device (shown above found here and here) have been spotted at a launch event in India. India’s Human Resource Development Minister, Kapil Sibal, stated that the device should be available for a pretty amazing price of $35. The Indian government is yet to confirm solid specs – WiFi and 2GB storage, together with a touchscreen, USB port, and 2W power draw are the only things mentioned. Apparently almost 8,500 colleges signed up to take part in the initial rollout, and a site is set up that is full of digital education content.

The new device is expected to go on sale sale for students next year, and the Indian government hopes to use market competition to drive down pricing until they can sell it for just $10 a piece. The site mentions the possibility of a subsidy, though its unclear if that’s on top of the $35 price or if they’ve just squeezed the hell out of their manufacturing partners. Even $35 seems pretty unbelievable if you ask us.

Check out the demo in video below: