The first designed-in-India and powered-by-AI tablet is here. EPIC Foundation, a non-profit organisation, launched the indigenously manufactured Education Tablet that has been designed by VVDN Technologies in partnership with MediaTek India and CoRover.ai. The device comes with a host of features and is promoted as a device that is repairable and upgradable to counter concerns related to the digital divide and mounting e-waste.
The company aims to manufacture up to three lakh tablets targeted for supply to state governments. The devices are yet to be commercially manufactured, but the company has already signed an MoU for over 12,000 units with entities like IRIS Global and Vedavaag Systems Ltd.
The MILKYWAY Tab comes with an 8-inch 1280×800 IPS display, MediaTek MT8766A processor, 3/4GB RAM, 32/64GB storage, 5MP front and 8MP rear cameras, and a 5,100mAh battery. It is backed by Android 13, supports 4G LTE connectivity, and has a sleek design with 5-finger touch support. Besides this, the key features include the integrated India-made BharatGPT virtual assistant to aid students, options for video and chatbots, a speech translation app by CoRover.ai, and a focus on repairability for sustainability
Dr Ajai Chowdhry, chairman of Epic Foundation, said that they want to build products in such a way that the components are easily replaceable and upgradeable. “Repair expenses surpassing the cost of purchasing a new device, the production of substandard goods, and obsolescence strategies are not only pressing concerns of today but also exacerbate the escalating problem of electronic waste. Our repairable product will enable many jobs all over India for repair engineers,” Chowdhry said.
The tablet uniquely integrates the BharatGPT virtual assistant to promote digital learning and language translation between Indian languages, enabling inclusion. The main objective is to increase schools’ access to affordable devices with longer lifespans while driving demand for homegrown electronics that empower society.
“This groundbreaking tablet not only embodies technological innovation but also reflects our commitment to sustainability and addressing India’s unique educational needs. With features like repairability, upgradability, and integration of India-made BharatGPT powered Conversational AI platform and various AI apps, this tablet is not just a device; it’s a catalyst for a transformative educational experience,” said Ankush Sabharwal, Co-Founder of CoRover.ai and BharatGPT.
Meanwhile, Anku Jain, managing director of MediaTek India, asserts that the MediaTek Chipsets for tablets are designed to provide powerful performance, captivating display and video, and energy efficiency. “EPIC Foundation’s first Indian designed, repairable, upgradable, and first AI-tablet powered by MediaTek is equipped with the latest advancements in multicore processing, CorePilot technology, MediaTek MiraVision, and multimedia powerhouse to develop power-efficient media tablets with a PC-like browser,” Jain said..
Source : Indian Express
