Lava Mobile launched a Rs 1,500 featurephone - KKT Ultra+ Union - which supports 22 local Indian languages, as a first in a government initiative to enable all Indians to use mobile phones with vernacular languages.
Lava is the first among Indian handset makers to come out with the phone, while others are expected to follow suit.
Ajay Kumar, additional secretary in the department of electronics and information technology, said that the government will soon come out with notification that will mandate handset makers to enable one local language besides Hindi and English.
"Notification is under consideration and will be released soon," Kumar said.
Lava Mobile said that more than 70% of the company's feature phone portfolio will have the local language capability.
The company said it has also reached manufacturing capacity of 1 million phones a month, locally. And it will invest Rs 500 crore over the next couple of years to increase local production and wi employ more than 4,000 people.
"Today about 50,000 people are involved in Make in India," said Hari Om Rai, chairman, Lava Mobile. "About 2 crore people will be employed in local manufacturing over the next 10 years with an overall investment of $250 billion," he added.
The phone will be available in the market soon.
http://telecom.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/lava-launches-featurephone-supporting-22-local-languages/51602433
Lava is the first among Indian handset makers to come out with the phone, while others are expected to follow suit.
Ajay Kumar, additional secretary in the department of electronics and information technology, said that the government will soon come out with notification that will mandate handset makers to enable one local language besides Hindi and English.
"Notification is under consideration and will be released soon," Kumar said.
Lava Mobile said that more than 70% of the company's feature phone portfolio will have the local language capability.
The company said it has also reached manufacturing capacity of 1 million phones a month, locally. And it will invest Rs 500 crore over the next couple of years to increase local production and wi employ more than 4,000 people.
"Today about 50,000 people are involved in Make in India," said Hari Om Rai, chairman, Lava Mobile. "About 2 crore people will be employed in local manufacturing over the next 10 years with an overall investment of $250 billion," he added.
The phone will be available in the market soon.
http://telecom.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/lava-launches-featurephone-supporting-22-local-languages/51602433
