Laptops for Rs 15,000

Laptops for Rs 15,000 will soon be a reality with Allied Computers International (Asia) Ltd (ACi) planning to hit the market with a cheaper compact laptop.

The company, which had created much of an impact in the Indian laptop market place with its Rs 19,999 notebook, expects the new plan to go well with user preferences. With a plan well in place for the cheap laptops, the company has also lined up exclusive showrooms across the country.

The company also plans tie-ups with supermarkets and retail showroom franchisees to take the cheap laptops to potential buyers. The company plans to bring to the showrooms its cheaper laptop version by mid-2008.

A report said that ACi would also look at setting up a manufacturing unit exclusively for laptops in Thane near Mumbai. The plan is to increase production from the existing 10,000 laptops to 100,000 per year. The IPO which hit the markets just ahead of the weekend aims at a mop up of Rs 60 million.

Meanwhile, it has been pointed out that competition isn’t likely to be a major issue for ACi as rivals sell laptops at higher prices. While Zenith has an affordable range, it comes for not less than Rs 24,990. Zenith also has models for Rs 27,990 and Rs. 28,490 respectively. The laptops are powered by Intel Dual Core processors and they run on genuine Microsoft Windows Vista Starter Basic operating system. Zenith also plans to launch its notebooks in the international market at estimated cost of $500.