EPIC Foundation Unveils India's First Education Tablet Powered by BharatGPT

By siliconindia  |  Wednesday, 14 February 2024, 18:09 IST

EPIC Foundation Unveils India's First Education Tablet Powered by BharatGPT
EPIC Foundation, a non-profit organization, has introduced the Education Tablet, a domestically produced device crafted in collaboration with VVDN Technologies, MediaTek India, and CoRover.ai. This tablet boasts a range of features and is positioned as a sustainable solution, emphasizing repairability and upgradability to address concerns regarding the digital divide and increasing e-waste. With plans to produce up to three lakh tablets for distribution to state governments, the company has already secured an MoU for more than 12,000 units with partners such as IRIS Global and Vedavaag Systems Ltd., although commercial manufacturing is pending.
The MILKYWAY Tab features an 8-inch 1280×800 IPS display powered by a MediaTek MT8766A processor, with options for 3/4GB RAM and 32/64GB storage. It sports 5MP front and 8MP rear cameras, along with a 5,100mAh battery. Operating on Android 13, it offers 4G LTE connectivity and supports 5-finger touch input, all wrapped in a sleek design. Notable highlights include the inclusion of the indigenous BharatGPT virtual assistant to assist students, video and chatbot capabilities, a speech translation app developed by CoRover.ai, and a strong emphasis 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 stands out by seamlessly incorporating the BharatGPT virtual assistant, aimed at fostering digital education and facilitating language translation among Indian languages, thereby promoting inclusivity. Its primary goal is to enhance schools' access to cost-effective devices with extended longevity while also stimulating demand for domestically produced electronics that contribute to societal empowerment.
“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.