Mukesh Ambani planning to launch Rs 3,000 tablet?

The tablet wars are getting fiercer by the day. Less than a fortnight after the Indian government launched the world's 'cheapest tablet computer' for students, there's a likelihood that the Indian market could see the debut of an even cheaper tablet computer. For Rs 3,000, to be precise.

Yes, according to an Economic Times report, Reliance Industries, India's largest company by market capitalisation, is planning to launch a range of tablet computers starting at Rs 3,000.

[caption id="attachment_109749" align="alignleft" width="380" caption="The tablet computers are part of a broader and deeper thrust into telecom, including fourth-generation (4G) services, led by chairman and managing director Mukesh Ambani. Reuters"][/caption]

According to the report, the company has examined prototypes of tablets from over 15 Taiwanese and Chinese manufacturers and might ultimately focus on three to four models, all of which are likely to be priced between Rs 3,000 and Rs 8,000. The entry-level versions are likely to run on Google's Android operating system, the report said.

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The tablet computers are part of a broader and deeper thrust into telecom, including fourth-generation (4G) services, led by chairman and managing director Mukesh Ambani.

Only 10 days ago, the media was abuzz with reviews of Aakash, which has been touted as the Nano of the tablet world. The cheapest tablet on the block at a cost of $35 (approximately Rs 1,700)- Aakash was launched on 5 October by Union Human Resources Development minister Kapil Sibal in New Delhi.

Tablet computers are now available in India at prices ranging from Rs 8,000 to Rs 47,000. Indeed, Reliance Communications, which is owned by Anil Ambani, Mukesh's younger brother, also launched a Rs 12,999 tablet device in August.

Still, India is a very nascent market and the competition has only just begun. In the nine months to June, nearly 158,000 tablet computers were sold in the country, according to a Dainik Bhaskarreport. Samsung led the market with a 46 percent share, followed by BlackBerry (21 percent) and Apple (18 percent). Shipments are expected to climb to 2,75,000 units by the end of December.