Azim Premji, the richest man in India and founder of Wipro, an information technology giant, has announced plans to produce at US$32 computer designed to bring iPad-style technology to the country’s masses. The tablet is aimed at the nation’s rural poor and schoolchildren. A prototype is expected to be ready early next year, according to Wipro. The company has teamed up with Imec, a nanotechnology company based in Belgium, to collaborate on the project. A Wipro spokesperson said it is developing nanotechnology and miniaturized components to help drive down power consumption and overall cost. Ashok Jhunjhunwala, of the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, said reducing the cost of a tablet to such a low level poses significant challenges: “It’s very difficult. The cost of every single element has to be reduced without compromising the quality. I don’t know how you do it.”
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