Datawind to launch smartphones starting Rs 2,000

Mobile devices maker Datawind will launch android smartphones starting Rs 2,000 with free internet services (without audio and video streaming) for a year, on Tuesday. While 2G handsets will be available for Rs 2,000, the 3G versions will comes for Rs 3,000.

According to Datawind CEO Suneet Singh Tuli, the company will be going for operator bundling, initially with one operator with good customer base across smaller cities, the company will tie-up with others soon. However, devices will not be locked to the operator's network.

During the first year, Tuli said, the company targets to sell 50 lakh units of low-cost smartphones. "In line with the Government's 'Make in India' initiative, we plan to shift production of 90 per cent of total smartphones within 90 days," he added.

The company will keep its smartphones with Rs 5,000. The cost for internet would be paid by Datawind to its operator partner. "Our technology helps us to bring down data usage by one-thirtieth as compared with the existing platforms," said Tuli.