India working on $10 laptops

New Delhi (India) - The ambitious one laptop per child (OLPC) project may actually have some competition, thanks to an Indian alternative that wants a price tag of $10 for each computer.

OLPC, which aims to bring laptops to schoolchildren in impoverished nations, recently pushed its price per laptop to $175, from $100. India's HRD ministry, which rejected the offer from OLPC, says it thinks it can push that price down to $10.

The manufacturing cost has already been scaled down to $47, reports the India Times. So far no manufacturer has agreed to the $10 price. "The cost is encouraging and we are hopeful it would come down to $10. We would also look into the possibility of some Indian company manufacturing the parts," said a ministry official.

A meeting is scheduled for later this month for industry officials and scholars to discuss the feasibility of this undertaking.

While OLPC is pushing to get its project up and running as soon as possible, the initiative from India will take a minimum of two years before it comes to fruition, according to the India Times.