epic-foundation-launched-1st-designed-in-india-education-tablet-named-milkyway

EPIC Foundation, a non-profit organisation, launched the first designed-in-India and powered-by-AI tablet on Tuesday.

 

The tablet named "MILKYWAY" is indigenously manufactured Education Tablet that has been designed by VVDN Technologies in partnership with MediaTek India and CoRover.ai.

 

At the launch event, S Krishnan, Secretary of MeitY, expressed pride in introducing an India-designed and India-inspired education tablet aimed at revolutionizing the learning experience for students across the nation. 

 

"It will inspire the youth to take up the mantra of design and making things in India, for India and for the world", Krishnan stated.

 

Aligned with the goal of fostering true self-reliance in Indian electronics, Dr. Ajai Chowdhry, Chairman of EPIC Foundation, emphasized the importance of creating products with easily replaceable and upgradable components.

 

"This innovative approach not only addresses the challenge of escalating repair expenses but also combats the production of substandard goods and obsolescence strategies, thereby curbing electronic waste",  he added.

 

The MILKYWAY Tablet 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 Android13, 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.

 

The education tablet is strategically designed to address two critical aspects: driving demand for 'Indian, repairable, sustainable' electronic products and brands, and overcoming financial and logistical barriers hindering schools from accessing repairable, high-impact devices.

 

Chowdhry highlighted the significant employment opportunities this initiative would create, particularly for repair engineers across India. By extending the lifespan of electronic devices through repairability, the project aims to mitigate the adverse environmental impact of electronic waste.

 

In a bid to promote digital learning inclusivity, the education tablet integrates the BharatGPT virtual assistant and offers AI/ML-based inter-lingual translation for Indian languages.

 

This feature enhances language diversity and supports the inclusion of differently-abled individuals, marking a significant step towards accessible education.

 

Krishnan highlighted the importance of increasing value addition in the electronics sector to reduce dependency on imports and boost domestic production.

 

Building on the success of the electronics Production Linked Incentive (PLI) program, MeitY stated that "It aims to further elevate India's share in electronic component production"