Low-cost Aakash tablet to hit U.S. store shelves at $60.

India’s homebrewed low-cost Aakash tablet along with DataWind is now going places. This Android tablet will soon hit store shelves in the US and retail for $60 (Rs. 2,999). Moreover, VentureBeat gave a sneak peek into the device which has been flown to the U.S. by Vivek Wadhwa, a columnist from Washington Post. When pitted against the iPad, probably its price tag is the only savior. However, Chikodi Chima who has reviewed it for VentureBeat calls it a cheap but powerful device among other things like ‘jugaad’ (a local lingo we are familiar with).

Offering a taste Froyo 2.2, this 7-incher comes with Unisurfer Web browser, support for Wi-Fi, resistive screen, 2GB memory expandable up to 32GB and more. The Indian government has bought 100,000 Aakash tablet units from DataWind. By the end of next year, about 10 million to 12 million devices are likely to be distributed to students in India. At a government subsidized price, it will be made available for $35 (Rs. 1,750) to students. This also makes it the cheapest Android tablet till date.