New Delhi: DataWind has announced its partnership with Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd. (BSNL) to offer free unlimited internet service to its UbiSlate 7Cz and UbiSlate 3G7 tablet buyers.
The tablet maker has also entered into a retail partnership with UniverCell, to market the company's UbiSlate tablets. Until recently DataWind products were primarily sold via e-commerce and direct-to-consumer channels such as TV home-shopping.
Datawind known for its Aakash tablets, will be offering its UbiSlate series of models including 7Cx, 7C Plus, 7CZ and 3G7 which are priced between Rs 3,999 and Rs 4,999 with the free Internet access. Datawind will now offer its entire product range of UbiSlate Tablet PCs and PocketSurfer smartphones at UniverCell's more than 500 retail outlets spread across southern India.
“The relationship with UniverCell significantly expands our distribution by adding a significant player from the retail channel to support our tablet sales,” Suneet Singh Tuli, chief executive at DataWind, said in a statement.
“Association with BSNL for bundled internet service to our customers is a major breakthrough. This unique partnership validates our technology and belief in low cost internet connectivity sans barriers” Tuli added.
The company will be focusing on rural areas to increase its market share. “We ship around 2,500-3,000 devices a day now and in the first quarter of the year, we were the largest supplier of tablets in India. We sold a million units in the last one year (15 months) plus one-lakh units (of Aakash) to the Government,” he said.
Tuli added that Datawind will also participate in the bidding for the 22-lakh ‘Aakash-4' project which will be coming out in mid-December. The tablet maker is also planning to enter overseas markets including UK, the US and Canada. Datawind already has presence in 13 countries including Mexico, Nepal, Bangladesh, Zambia, Tanzania, Uruguay and Sri Lanka.
