CHANDIGARH: The next big opportunity in technology lies in innovation and servicing the lowest strata of the society with customized products for their needs, Datawind CEO Suneet Singh Tuli said here.

Tuli, the man who created the cost-effective Aakash tablet, said, "This will be the key game changer for Information and Communications Technology (ICT) companies and entrepreneurs and bring a new revolution in this field. There is tremendous untapped potential at lower sections of the society which, ICT companies from the region can tap and reap huge profits."

Speaking at an interaction organized jointly by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and Consulate General of Canada, Chandigarh, here yesterday, Tuli envisioned bridging the growing gap between the number of mobile Internet users and the number of cell phone users.

"Anything and everything around bringing this huge gap low is also an opportunity for all to grab," he said, according to a CII release.

Of the estimated 50 lakh tablets sold in 2013, Datawind sold about 10 lakh units, the release said quoting Tuli.

He is confident that his company can make tablets at the lowest rate.

"Our product, with the same specifications, is almost 40 percent cheaper than the next cheapest model in the market," Tuli pointed out.

He said the company has sold more units in Mexico as compared to India but still India is the main market in terms of opportunity.

Rajani Alexandera, Consul General of Canada, Chandigarh, said, "We should look at the best practices followed in both India and Canada, and should take advantage of them."

The Canadian Consulate General in Chandigarh will showcase the exceptional contribution of Punjabi immigrants in Canada, Alexandera said adding that over the past century and more, Punjabis have moved and settled all over Canada, and now they are the largest group among people of Indian origin.

"There are many inspiring stories of professional and personal journeys by Punjabi Canadians, and in 2014 we will showcase five of these. The first in the series would be of Suneet Tuli," she said.