Hyderabad: RDP Workstations Private Limited, a Hyderabad-based IT hardware and mobility devices manufacturing company, is planning to set up a laptop and phablet manufacturing facility in Hyderabad with an investment of about $2 million (Rs 13.3 crore) in the next three to four quarters. “The facility will initially assemble SKDs (semi-knock down) units and graduate to CKD (complete knock down) units in a phased manner,” Vikram Redlapalli, Founder and Managing Director of RDP, told reporters here.
Incorporated in 2012 as a manufacturer of low-cost computing products called thin clients, RDP Workstations expanded its product basket on Wednesday with the launch of ThinBook, which it claims to be India’s most-affordable 14.1-inch laptop. Developed in strategic association with ecosystem players Microsoft and Intel, ThinBook is aimed at addressing the needs of entry-level consumers, Redlapalli said.
Priced at Rs 9,999, ThinBook is equipped with quad-core Intel Atom processor and runs on Microsoft Windows 10 anniversary update. RDP has so far invested about $8 million in the development of its new product range, which includes Gravity phablets, PlugPC pocket PC, ThinBook Convertible and ThinBook 2-in-1 laptops. “The phablet series, with prices ranging from Rs 4,500 to Rs 5,000, will be launched in two weeks from now, Redlapalli said.
Speaking on the occasion, Telangana IT Secretary Jayesh Ranjan said the State government, as part of its digital literacy programmes, may come up with a financing scheme to provide ThinBooks to the beneficiaries. “RDP has grown on its own so far. This is where we have to do the handholding. If necessary, we will design a tailor-made package for RDP,” said Telangana IT and Industries Minister K T Rama Rao.