HCL says no to $35 laptop project

HCL Infosystems has denied its association with Sakshat project of the ministry of human resource development to manufacture access and computing device to be priced $35 a piece.

"It has been wrongly reported that we are associated with the project," Ajay Chowdhry, a co-founder of HCL and chairman, HCL Infosystems said.

Chowdhry mentioned that HRD ministry has recently floated a request for proposal (RFP) for the project and some companies have participated in it.

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When asked about HCL's participation in the RFP, Chowdhry told PTI that his company will not participate in the RFP.

"We will not apply for RFP," Chowdhry said on the sidelines of 'Electronics For You' expo being held in New Delhi.

Chowdhry did not comment on the reason for not participating in the RFP for Sakshat.

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Kapil Sibal, union minister for human resource development, had unveiled an access-cum-computing device designed by experts at Indian Institute of Technology and Indian Institute of Sciences and named the product 'Sakshat'.

The ministry is licensing the same to companies desirous of manufacturing the system.

The product has been widely termed as $35 laptop.

There were reports which claimed that HCL has launched 'Sakshat' which Chowdhry denied on Thursday.